After these things were finished, Paul purposed
in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had
passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying,
After I have been there, I must also see Rome.
And having sent into Macedonia two of those who
ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus, he himself
stayed in Asia for a while. Verses 21 and 22,
by way of introduction, I want us to consider
the circumstances that bring about and surround
Paul's plans that he establishes in verse 21
and verse 22. 21, we read, Now after these things
were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to
go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia
and Achaia, saying, After I have been there,
I must also see Rome. What Paul is doing in this
text is he is establishing plans for future gospel.
for future missionary labors in the world. But
I want us to consider the circumstances briefly
of these plans. This text says, now after these
things were finished. It's clearly alluding to
Paul's time in Ephesus and the events that we've
been walking our way through in Ephesus. It's
talking about the disciples and the Spirit of
God being poured out on the disciples. It's talking
about Paul and the synagogue. It's talking about
Paul at Tyrannus. It's talking about the seven
sons of one Sceva. It's talking about the blessed
miracles that have occurred. It's talking about
this fear, this reverence, and the exaltation
of Christ's name in Ephesus. It's talking about
many of the practitioners. those who practice
magic and wicked things, repenting of their sin
and forsaking those things, and publicly burning
their books and their scrolls. It's talking about
the success and the effectiveness of the gospel
in Ephesus. It's talking about Paul's ministry
in Ephesus. The text is telling us, and Luke
is telling us, that there was a point in time
When these great events found a conclusion, Paul's
ministry in Ephesus had to conclude at some point
in time. The way it's put in the text seems to
put forward the idea that there was a natural
transition that occurred and takes place in Paul's
ministry. It was time for him to move on. It
was time for Paul to move on to other missionary
endeavors. And this is incredible when we think
about the reality of the great success that the
apostle had in Ephesus. Now, why would we say
that Ephesus was a great success? Well, brothers
and sisters, because the church... is established
firmly in Ephesus. It's a great success because
true, vital, powerful, authentic Christianity
has been established in this place in Ephesus.
Men and women have been converted and born again.
They've been brought into the kingdom of God.
The kingdom of God has gone forth and expanded
and grown in this place. It's a success for many
reasons. It's true revival. God was pleased to
pour out His Spirit in Ephesus. We read a little
bit later of the effects, the indirect effects
of the gospel in Ephesus when Demetrius stirs
up a riot a little bit later in Acts chapter
19. And what does he say in that text? He talks
about... How Paul was trying to persuade everybody
in Asia to turn away from worshipping Artemis.
And that he was seemingly being pretty successful
at it. That men and women everywhere, all over
this area, all over this region, were turning
from idols to the living God. We would call that
a successful ministry. God blessed the work there.
God's blessing was upon Paul's preaching there.
God was acting and God was working. God was moving
in that place. Yet we find in the text that a
point in time came that Paul had to move on.
That he knew his ministry there had ended. Success
oftentimes leads, and it can lead, to... over
-realized attitudes of satisfaction. Success
can oftentimes lead to negative effects in our
lives if you think about it. We can become idle
and complacent as a result of God's blessing.
We can become idle and complacent and it can
lead to over -realize leisure and recreation
in our lives. One might say, well, Paul, he deserved
a good, long, long vacation after this Ephesian
period. Man, it was a rough period. And here's
the thing about the text. It wasn't just success.
It was success mixed with hardship and adversity.
So we read a little bit later, In the New Testament,
we read specifically in 1 Corinthians, 1 Corinthians
chapter 15, verse 32, Paul says this, he says,
If from human motives I fought with wild beasts
at Ephesus, what does it profit me? Paul's saying,
listen, I fought, I wrestled. With men as though
they were wild animals. Those were my enemies.
What does the prophet mean? He had great difficulty,
great adversity, great opposition in Ephesus.
We read a little bit later in the same book,
in 1 Corinthians chapter 16, verse 9. He says,
starting in verse 8, But I will remain in Ephesus
until Pentecost. for a wide door for effective
service has opened to me, and there are many
adversaries. He's referring to Ephesus there.
He's talking about the reality that, yeah, there's
great success in Ephesus, but brothers and sisters,
there's great opposition, there's great adversity,
hardship, tumult, and trial in Ephesus as well.
So it's not just that success can lead to...
The presumptuousness of assuming that God's going
to bless our ministry, or that God's going to
continue working in and through us, or an over
-realized sense of satisfaction, the need for
leisure and rest. But brothers and sisters, great
success mixed with hardship could also lead to
despair. It could lead to being disheartened.
It could lead to doubt. But that's not what we
see happen to... The apostle in this text. We
don't see these negative effects coming into
the life of Paul and his ministry. What do we
see take place in Paul's life and his ministry
in verses 21 and 22? What's he do? His time at
Ephesus comes to an end. God has blessed him.
God has been with him there. God has used him.
The gospel has flourished. But what does he do?
Now he's planning for future work. He doesn't
slow down. He keeps going. He presses on. He
made plans for future gospel ministry, and he
continued in that work. He maintained a holy
and a relentless zeal for the work of God in
this world. He understood, and I think this is
the key for Paul. He understood his calling as
an apostle. We read in several places throughout
the New Testament that Paul's philosophy of ministry
was this, that he would not build on another
man's foundation. So that whenever the point
in time came where the church was strong enough,
that it could function and it had its own identity
in itself, and elders were raised up, and we
see that in Acts chapter 20, that that's the
reality, that he would move on and he would look
for other areas that he could plant and establish
churches where there were no churches. That was
his philosophy of ministry. That's what he believed,
his calling as an apostle, and that's what Christ
had revealed to him, and he sought to be faithful
to that. He understood his calling as an apostle,
and what did he do? He persevered in it. He continued
in it. He pressed on in his calling as an apostle.
He wasn't satisfied with what God had done in
Ephesus. He was eager and excited and he was
looking forward to what God would do in the future
through his ministry. He wasn't presumptuous
of God's blessing, but he understood and he knew
that God uses people for his purposes and his
plans. Last week we considered how God works
in and through the Word. God blesses the Word.
God accompanies the Word. God works in this world
through the Word of God. But we also have to
remember, and this text helps us balance it out,
that God doesn't just work through the Word.
God uses servants. God uses people to distribute
and to proclaim and to minister that Word that
He works through. Paul understood. That if God
was going to continue working in this world,
that Paul would have to continue working hard
in this world. He would have to continue being
diligent and faithful as an apostle. Brothers
and sisters, Christian, I wonder, do you understand
your calling in life? Do you know? Do you understand?
Do you have a sense? of what your calling in
life is as a father, as a husband, as a man of
God? Do you know what your calling is as a church
member, as a brother and sister in Christ, as
a believer in Jesus Christ? Do you understand
the weight of the calling that God has placed
on your life by converting you and causing you
to be born again and entrusting you with the
gospel? of Christ and making you a part of the
church? Do you know your calling? Do you know
what you're called to do in your home? In your
marriage? In your church? In your relationships,
brothers and sisters? Listen, that's not going
to be an easy thing. There's going to be successes,
but there's also going to be great adversity
and difficulty at times. What do you need to
do if you understand your calling as a believer
in Jesus Christ? Persevere. Press on. Continue.
Keep moving forward. Work and labor for the kingdom
of God in whatever area God has given you. It's
going to be hard, brothers and sisters. But listen,
God uses people for His purposes and for His
plans. If you aren't willing to be the husband
your wife needs, brothers and sisters, who's
going to do it? If you're not going to wash your
wife in the Word, who's going to do it? Listen,
if you're not going to submit to your husband
with love and reverence, who's going to do it?
You are the wife and you are the husband. Listen,
God has called us to do these things. If you're
not going to be a father in the home, Who's going
to do it? God has called people to work and labor
and to be faithful for his kingdom and for his
purposes. Your son, your daughter, your wife,
your husband, your fellow church members, your
fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. They need
what God has called you to do in your life. They
need to be blessed by it, to be encouraged by
it, to be edified by it. God uses people in his
work in this world. And we have to continue in
that work. Historically, one of the things we
can see about the men and the women that God
uses in this world to do great and mighty things
for his purposes, for his plans, for his kingdom.
There is one. There's a lot, but there's one
unifying factor. They were all very, very diligent.
They were all very, very resilient. None of them
were lazy believers. I think we can honestly
say, brothers and sisters, God does not use and
God does not bless lazy Christian believers.
people. That's hard, isn't it? Paul understood
this. Paul knew this. Brothers and sisters, listen.
We have the gospel of Christ. We know eternal
truths, eternal realities. We know who Christ
is. We know what he's done. We know what he's
accomplished. We know what we need to do because
the Word of God has revealed it to us and He's
given it to us in His divine revelation. Now
we need to give ourselves to faithfulness and
service to our great Master and our great King.
That's our job. To be faithful in this life and
to keep being faithful in this life for His purposes
and for His plans, for His kingdom and for His
glory, brothers and sisters. Regardless of whether
we've been successful in the past, whether we're
enjoying success now, or regardless of whether
there's adversity or difficulty or hardship,
we must press on in our Christian service for
the kingdom of God. So we see the circumstances
surrounding these plans that Paul makes. Now
there's two things I want us to consider in this
text. One is Paul's plans. The second is the
Spirit's work in light of these circumstances
and what's taking place. The text says in verse
21, Now after these things were finished, Paul
purposed in the Spirit. So Paul made up his mind.
Paul earnestly gave himself to these plans. He
had determined, he had fixed it and set it in
his mind that he was going to do these things.
So what was it that Paul purposed to do in the
coming days? What were his ministry plans, we
could say? It really involves three things. The
first, was passing through Macedonia and Achaia.
Now, these were all areas that Paul had already
established churches. So what he wanted to do
was circle back and visit churches like Philippi,
Corinth, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and a few
others most likely. He wanted to circle back
and visit them to strengthen them and encourage
them and to exhort them and appeal to them and
persuade them to continue on in the word of Christ
and to see how they were doing for his own soul.
So that was the first thing he was determined
to do. He was determined to look after the churches
he had planted because his heart was bound to
those churches and to those believers. And as
an apostle, he had... universal authority over
those churches. He had a right and a privilege
and an obligation, a duty to oversee those churches
as one who took part in as an apostle of Christ.
But we also see that the second part of his plans
were going to Jerusalem. Now we read again in
the last part of 1 Corinthians chapter 6, the
last part of 1 Corinthians in chapter 16. We
read in verses 1 through 5. Now concerning the
collection for the saints, as I directed the
churches of Galatia, so do you also. On the first
day of every week, each one of you is to put
aside and save as he may prosper, so that no
collections be made when I come. When I arrive,
whomever you may approve, I will send them. with
letters to carry your gift to Jerusalem. And
if it is fitting for me to go also, they will
go with me. In this text, we see that Paul was
eager to bring this fund, this relief fund, to
the poor and needy saints in Jerusalem. That
was his primary purpose, to bring this gift.
to Jerusalem church. But there was another purpose,
and that was that he wanted to bring solidarity
between the Jerusalem church, which was primarily
Jewish, and the Gentile churches from which he
was collecting the funds. He wanted to show them
that they were all serving the same Lord and
the same Master, and they were all indwelt by
the same Spirit, working for the same kingdom
and for the glory of God. He had to go to Jerusalem
after passing through Macedonia. That was the
second thing that he was determined to do. But
we also see a third thing. He says that he must
see Rome. Now, this is interesting. Paul longed
to go to Rome. And we read in several places
in Romans. That this was something he wanted
to do for a very long time. We read in Romans
chapter 1, starting in verse 8. And listen to
the heart longings of the apostle. First, I thank
my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because
your faith is being proclaimed throughout the
whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit
in the preaching of the gospel of his son, is
my witness. As to how unceasingly I may mention
of you. Always in my prayers making requests.
If perhaps now. At last by the will of God. I
may succeed in coming to you. He wants to go.
He wants to come to the brothers and sisters
at Rome. And he hopes that he is successful in
it. For I long to see you starting in verse 11.
So that you may impart some spiritual gift to
me. and that you may be established. That is,
that I may be encouraged together with you, while
among you, each of us by the other's faith, both
yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware,
brethren, that often I have planned to come to
you, and have been prevented so far, so that
I may obtain some fruit among you also, even
as among the rest of the Gentiles. Paul wanted
to go to Rome. He wanted to see those Christians.
He wanted to preach the gospel. He wanted to
encourage them and strengthen them and edify
them. And he wanted, brothers and sisters, to
be edified and strengthened by them as well.
He wanted to be in their midst. We read in Romans
chapter 15 a little bit more about Paul's longing
to go to Rome. As an apostle, we read in Romans
chapter 15, starting in verse 20, And thus I
aspired to preach the gospel, not where Christ
was already named, so that I would not build
on another man's foundation. But as it is written,
They who had no news of him shall see, and they
who have not heard shall understand. For this
reason I have often been prevented from coming
to you. Paul's tried to go, but he hasn't been
able to go. His plans have fallen short. His
plans, as an apostle, have fallen through. They've
not worked out at times. It's clear that Paul's
plans aren't always perfect, and they're not
always carried out and carried through perfectly.
It's just not possible because of providential
hindrances and various things. But now with no
further place for me in these regions, and since
I have had for many years a longing to come to
you, whenever I go to Spain, for I hope to see
you in passing and to be helped on my way there
by you when I have first enjoyed your company
for a while. So it's not just that Paul wants
to go to Rome to preach the gospel and to be
encouraged. And to encourage them. But Paul also
wants to go to Rome because he wants to plan
for another mission. And where is that other
mission? Spain. Paul wants to go to Spain, the
Latin speaking world, where the gospel has not
been. Where churches have not been established.
So it's not just that Paul wants to go to Rome,
brothers and sisters, but he wants to go to Rome
because he's thinking about what is to come for
the gospel. He wants to go to Rome to plan for
what is ahead. Now, these plans that Paul has
made, what do we see and what do they show us
about the great apostle? They show us his love
for the church. He loves the church deeply. They
show us his longing to preach the gospel. They
show us his desire to establish the church in
unreached places. Where they don't know the gospel
and where there are no churches. They show us
the reality that the apostle lived under a constant
sense of divine purpose and call in his life.
Do you know why Paul is making these plans? Do
you know why Paul is thinking about Macedonia
and Philippi and Corinth? Do you know why Paul...
is thinking about Jerusalem and the saints in
Jerusalem. Brothers and sisters, do you know
why Paul is thinking about Rome and even Spain
after Rome? Because he knows that he lives before
a God who sees all that he does. He knows that
he ministers before a holy and righteous God
who sees him and watches him and he wants to
honor that God and he wants to please that God.
He lives under a sense of divine call and divine
purpose because he walks before a living God.
all the day long. He's conscious of God's presence
in Christ's watchful eye. He's conscious of wanting
to please His Lord and walk in accordance with
the law of God. He's conscious of the needs of
the saints. He's conscious of the weight of lost
souls. He lives with this sense of divine call
and divine purpose in his life at all times because
he walks. Before the living God. And he knows
it. It keeps him faithful. It compels him forward.
It drives him forward. And he can't not do this.
Because he's been so drastically changed. We
think about this. Brothers and sisters, consider
the reality that this is the man whose life mission
used to be to obliterate Christianity. This is
the man who used to be Saul of Tarsus. This is
the man who was determined to destroy this movement,
the way, these Christians who claimed that there
was a Messiah. But then, this man is confronted.
By that very risen Lord. And he's born again
to a living hope. He's changed drastically. And
all of a sudden, the one who hated Christians
and wanted to destroy Christianity is now in
submission to that Lord and that Master. He is
now called with divine purpose and divine calling
in his life to work. for that king and that Lord
to labor for him. He's given faith to believe
the blessed promises. He's given eyes to see
and understand the gospel, brothers and sisters.
He's changed and he's transformed. And now he's
able to say one chapter later that he considers
his life to be nothing. Why? Because Christ has
so drastically changed who he is. Christ has
caused him to be born again. He's been made a
new creature in Christ. We see in this text that
Paul, the great apostle, made plans. But we also
have to understand that those plans, though they
were established by the apostle himself, were
fallible. They could have error in them. We see
in this text, and we know from later spots, 1
Corinthians chapter 1, the book of 2 Corinthians,
and we also see in tidbits from Romans. Brothers
and sisters, we see that the apostle changed
his plans multiple times. He doesn't follow this
plan. It doesn't come about exactly as he wanted.
Yes, he goes to Jerusalem, but do you know how
he goes to Jerusalem? In chains. Yes, he goes
to Rome. But do you know how he goes to Rome?
As a prisoner. That's where we last see Paul.
They come about, but not the way that he plans.
His plans as a man were fallible and subject
to error and issues. Because Paul was fallible.
Why weren't these plans perfect? Why were these
plans fallible? Because he was not God. That's
the reality of it, brothers and sisters. Paul's
plans were altered and changed and adjusted because
Paul couldn't see the future. Because Paul wasn't
sovereign. He wasn't perfectly holy like God
is. He didn't declare the end from the beginning.
Paul doesn't exercise the decretive will. like
God. He has to live according to the revealed
will of God, even as an apostle. His plans, and
ultimately the plans of all men, brothers and
sisters, are fallible. They're subject to change,
amalgamation, and adjustment. They will not always
stand and they will not always be blessed of
God. They will not always be used. But we do
see that the apostle is making plans. His plans
were fallible, but he did purpose. He did establish
and seek to do mighty and great things for God.
Even though he couldn't see the future. This
leads us to the last thing we have to consider.
The Spirit's work. Now, it's not just that Paul
purposed. But what does the text say? What does
the text say about Paul purposing? Now, after
these things were finished, Paul purposed in
the Spirit. Luke wants us to know. He wants us
to understand that the Spirit of God was actively
involved in the work of God in this world. The
Spirit of God was actively involved in Paul's
life. The Spirit of God was actively leading,
guiding, and directing. The work of God in this
world. There was a divine purpose underneath
all of these plans that Paul himself was establishing
and laying out and seeking to design. Luke wants
us to be clear about this. The risen Lord Jesus
Christ is working and establishing his church
from heaven in and throughout the book of Acts.
Let's go ahead and flip through several different
texts in which we see this. We read in Acts chapter
8, verse 29. Then the Spirit said to Philip,
Go up and join this chariot. The Spirit of God
is directing Philip to preach the gospel to this
one eunuch. The Spirit of God is involved in
working. We read in verse 39, When they came
up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched
Philip away, and the eunuch no longer saw him,
but went on his way rejoicing. Brothers and sisters,
God is involved in the spread of the Gospel in
the book of Acts. The Spirit of God is divinely
working. We read a little bit later in Acts chapter
10. Verse 19. And this momentous occasion of
Peter going to the Gentiles in Cornelius' home.
While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the
Spirit said to him, Behold, three men are looking
for you. But get up, go downstairs, and accompany
them without misgivings, for I have sent them
myself. The Spirit of God is actively involved
in the progress and the advancement of the gospel
in the early days of the life of the church,
in the book of Acts, in the establishment of
the apostolic church. We read in Acts chapter
13, and these are not all the references. I'm
just walking us through some of the prominent
ones. In Acts chapter 13, verse 2, while they
were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the
Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabas and
Saul for the work to which I have called them.
Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid
their hands on them, they sent them away, so
being sent out by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit
of God was actively involved in sending Paul
and Barnabas on the first missionary journey.
The Spirit of God was working, acting, moving,
guiding, directing, not just... The word in people's
hearts. But the missionaries. And the providential
situations. They were in. We read in Acts chapter
16. Verses 6 through 10. They passed through
the Phrygian and Galatian region. Having been
forbidden by the Holy Spirit. To speak the word
in Asia. And after they came to Mysia. They were
trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of
Jesus did not permit them. And passing to Miser,
they came down to Troas. The Spirit of God is
leading, directing, and guiding the work of the
Gospel in the missionary labors in the world,
brothers and sisters. We see that clearly. There
was a whole group of people that were kept from
hearing the Gospel at that time in Acts chapter
16. Why? Because the Spirit of God forbid Paul
and his fellow workers from entering that place.
Divine purpose. Divine call. We see that God
is divinely at work underneath, in, and through
the apostolic plans. We read in our text today
the same thing that Paul purposed in the Spirit.
We read in Acts chapter 20, verses 22 and 23.
And now. Behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on
my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen
to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly
testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds
and afflictions await me. It wasn't just Paul
who's at work. It wasn't just Paul and his fellow
workers who were at work. For the gospel is it
brothers and sisters. More importantly. More
vitally. More significantly. Than even the apostles
were. Is the work of the divine spirit of God.
In the life. Of the church. The spirit. Is guiding.
Directing. Leading. And initiating the work of
God. In this world. Christ from heaven. Is building
his church. by His Spirit, and by His Word. And
we see that clearly and progressively throughout
the book of Acts. So whereas we see that the
plans of Paul and the plans of man are fallible,
breakable, where they're subject to error, what
do we find taking place underneath those plans?
Through! What do we find the Spirit of God doing?
We see the divine purpose and the divine plan
for the church being established in the world
and the salvation of sinners, and we see that
His plans are infallible and unbreakable. They
cannot be thwarted. They cannot be changed. They
cannot be undone. They cannot be stopped, inhibited,
or taken away. The Spirit of God will be successful
in building the church of Jesus Christ in this
world. We're meant not to understand fully and
completely how the Spirit was leading. That's
the temptation of this text. The temptation of
this text is to read the words, Paul purposed
in the Spirit, and to think, well, how in the
world did this work? What are all the details,
and how is this interwoven and interchangeable?
How is this taking place? But brothers and sisters,
that's not what we're supposed to take away from
this. We're supposed to marvel at the reality
that God is working in the world. We're supposed
to marvel and be amazed at the reality that God...
is working to save sinners even though they don't
deserve it. That the Spirit of God is actively
working in that first century world through the
Apostle to save sinners. And in our day. We don't
know all the ins and outs and all the details
of everything about how it works, but we do know
this. God is at work to save sinners. God, who
doesn't have to be saving sinners, is saving
sinners, brothers and sisters. You don't deserve
it. I don't deserve it. But he's designed a plan
from before the foundation of the world to save
undeserving, elect sinners and to save them based
wholly and completely on his grace, on his mercy.
Therefore, he carries out that plan in time.
and history in the world. The most important
thing in this text is not Paul's plans. That's
not the most significant thing. The most significant
reality in the text of Scripture that we are
studying today is the reality that the Spirit
of God is acting, moving, leading, guiding, and
directing to save sinners and to establish the
church in this world. And that He will continue
to do so. So we look and we consider the cross
as believers. The premier work of Christ in atonement
and what He's accomplished to save sinners. And
we consider that work and we look at that work.
We think and we meditate on the cross of Christ
and what He's accomplished for us. We see the
grace of God, the mercy of God in saving sinners.
We think about it, we dwell on it, and what do
we do, brothers and sisters? We live unto the
glory of God. That's what we ought to do. And
we ought to live unto the glory of God, and we
ought to seek to do big, mighty things for the
glory of that God. We have to seek to do great
and mighty things for the glory of our King and
our God. To bring Him praise and honor. We have
to pour out our lives. We have to give ourselves
wholly and completely for His purposes and His
plans in our life. But listen, brothers and sisters.
Hold those plans loosely. Because the plans of
men are fallible. The plans of man are subject
to error. But take heart. Be encouraged. Do you
know why? Because his plans and his purposes
will not falter. They are not fallible. They
will succeed. They will persevere. They will
continue. And they will accomplish their divine
purpose in this world. Take heart, believers.
Some might say, Well, doesn't this discourage
the believer from working hard and seeking to
do great and mighty things for Christ? Why even
make plans? Why seek to plan for the glory of
God? But brothers and sisters, listen. One of
the most encouraging things about this text is
that God actually did use the feeble, fallible
plan of Paul. He used it for His kingdom and
glory even though it was a broken stick. Even
though it was a crooked stick. Maybe that's better
to say. God uses the plans of His people, their
desires, their longings, their zeal. Brothers
and sisters, He uses those things and He works
in and through those things. But listen, if we
ever find any success, If we ever have any fruit,
if anything ever comes of our plans, we have
to give all glory to our great God because they
would not succeed one single ounce or to one
single degree if He had not put His blessing
upon it. So we should seek to plan and be intentional
and to work and labor for the kingdom of God.
And we should seek... The guidance and the leadership
and the direction and the work of the Spirit
of God in and through those things. And we should
praise God and give Him all glory and give Him
thanks when we find any success. Because we know
it's from Him. We have to remember that we need
the Spirit's help in these things. We need God
to work, but we need to work too, brothers and
sisters. There's a quote, and this is what we'll
conclude with. There's a quote. It's been changed
like three or four times already. One rendition
of it is that what's done for Christ lasts. Something
similar. I saw it again. Somebody said what's
done for Christ and through Christ lasts. Now,
let me offer you my rendition of that quote that's
already been reworked so many times. What's done
by Christ lasts. What Christ alone does continues
and perseveres. But brothers and sisters, he
uses his people.