WEBVTT 00:00:10.439 --> 00:00:16.559 One of the things I believe that is probably 00:00:16.559 --> 00:00:22.559 on the mind and heart of many believers over 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:28.679 the last several weeks is the public, or the 00:00:28.679 --> 00:00:32.299 repercussions we could say, or the consequences 00:00:32.299 --> 00:00:42.479 of public witness in this world. Have you considered 00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:47.359 over the last several weeks, or have you counted 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:51.579 the cost of what it may require of the church 00:00:51.579 --> 00:00:57.740 and of believers to publicly bear witness to 00:00:57.740 --> 00:01:02.119 the truth of the gospel? That's one thing that's 00:01:02.119 --> 00:01:06.219 gone through my mind so many times. Am I willing 00:01:06.219 --> 00:01:10.980 to suffer for the sake of the gospel and faithfulness? 00:01:13.319 --> 00:01:16.120 Because it seems as though there's a shift taking 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:19.959 place in our world, in our culture, where on 00:01:19.959 --> 00:01:25.379 one side there is, we could say, public capital 00:01:25.379 --> 00:01:30.060 or societal capital to be affiliated with the 00:01:30.060 --> 00:01:33.879 Church of Jesus Christ. There's capital involved 00:01:33.879 --> 00:01:38.099 in that. There's benefit to that. But there's 00:01:38.099 --> 00:01:43.000 a growing consistency on the other side. where 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:49.879 there's capital to be opposed to the church. 00:01:49.920 --> 00:01:54.480 There's benefit to be against the church. So 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:58.319 the church of Jesus Christ in every age, in every 00:01:58.319 --> 00:02:04.079 period, has to make up its mind. Is it willing 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:09.219 to suffer the repercussions and consequences 00:02:09.219 --> 00:02:19.169 of public witness in this world. We see in the 00:02:19.169 --> 00:02:24.930 Apostle Paul, this is something he has done and 00:02:24.930 --> 00:02:29.530 he's had to do time and time again. He's had 00:02:29.530 --> 00:02:36.389 to count the cost of faithfulness in his life. 00:02:37.469 --> 00:02:42.770 Today we're going to consider what faithfulness 00:02:42.770 --> 00:02:46.530 meant for the Apostle Paul. And our text will 00:02:46.530 --> 00:02:51.629 be verse 24. We're going to consider what faithfulness 00:02:51.629 --> 00:02:57.050 required of the Apostle Paul. But we're also 00:02:57.050 --> 00:03:00.969 going to consider what was the motivating force 00:03:00.969 --> 00:03:06.189 of Paul's faithfulness. What was the motivating 00:03:06.189 --> 00:03:10.979 cause? What was it that compelled Paul? to this 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:15.400 willingness to suffer for the sake of faithfulness. 00:03:16.439 --> 00:03:19.680 So first, we'll consider what faithfulness meant 00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:24.419 for the Apostle Paul. Now, as we consider this, 00:03:24.479 --> 00:03:26.979 we have to consider who it is we're thinking 00:03:26.979 --> 00:03:30.719 about and what he was doing and the uniqueness 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:35.379 and how he was special, in a sense, because he 00:03:35.379 --> 00:03:41.090 was an Apostle. Paul was, first, A Christian, 00:03:41.129 --> 00:03:44.689 brothers and sisters. He was saved just like 00:03:44.689 --> 00:03:48.590 believers today are saved. By faith in Christ. 00:03:48.810 --> 00:03:52.129 Because the power of God was exerted in his life 00:03:52.129 --> 00:03:56.830 and he was born again. He was granted faith and 00:03:56.830 --> 00:03:59.770 repentance. He was saved and brought into the 00:03:59.770 --> 00:04:03.550 kingdom just like every other believer is saved 00:04:03.550 --> 00:04:06.849 and brought into the kingdom by the grace of 00:04:06.849 --> 00:04:13.919 God. He was a Christian. But Paul was also an 00:04:13.919 --> 00:04:19.120 apostle. And the apostles were unique to that 00:04:19.120 --> 00:04:23.459 age and that period of time where we see it in 00:04:23.459 --> 00:04:26.699 the book of Acts, brothers and sisters. So yes, 00:04:27.000 --> 00:04:30.939 will his faithfulness look a little different 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:37.680 than our faithfulness? Absolutely. There's not 00:04:37.680 --> 00:04:41.720 a mirror between Paul and us, and so what we 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:46.300 do exactly mirrors what he does. But we also 00:04:46.300 --> 00:04:50.480 learn this from the Bible, that Paul is put forth 00:04:50.480 --> 00:04:56.699 in the New Testament as a model Christian, as 00:04:56.699 --> 00:05:01.339 an exemplar of the Christian faith, someone to 00:05:01.339 --> 00:05:07.009 be imitated, someone to be followed. Someone 00:05:07.009 --> 00:05:09.930 whose example we can look at and say, that's 00:05:09.930 --> 00:05:11.990 what it means to be a Christian and I'm going 00:05:11.990 --> 00:05:16.370 to be like him. He's put forward as a model believer. 00:05:17.589 --> 00:05:21.069 But he's also put forward as a model minister. 00:05:22.069 --> 00:05:25.769 And what it means to serve Christ. And what it 00:05:25.769 --> 00:05:30.009 means to minister and serve the people of God. 00:05:30.689 --> 00:05:34.370 So there's no doubt. Though we can look at the 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:38.949 Apostle Paul's faithfulness today. And we can 00:05:38.949 --> 00:05:42.970 find applications and encouragements for our 00:05:42.970 --> 00:05:47.990 own lives in our faithfulness. That's what we're 00:05:47.990 --> 00:05:53.350 going to seek to do today. So what was faithfulness 00:05:53.350 --> 00:05:57.529 for the Apostle Paul? Well, listen to verse 24. 00:05:58.920 --> 00:06:01.839 But I do not consider my life of any account 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:06.639 as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course 00:06:06.639 --> 00:06:10.759 and the ministry which I receive from the Lord 00:06:10.759 --> 00:06:15.579 Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the 00:06:15.579 --> 00:06:22.500 grace of God. For Paul, faithfulness meant finishing 00:06:22.500 --> 00:06:30.209 the course of his Christian life. He says in 00:06:30.209 --> 00:06:40.209 verse 24, so that I may finish my course. Now 00:06:40.209 --> 00:06:43.189 this is language and terminology that we see 00:06:43.189 --> 00:06:47.990 used throughout the New Testament. It causes 00:06:47.990 --> 00:06:52.550 the reader to think about an athletic or a sporting 00:06:52.550 --> 00:06:59.540 event of the day. It's the idea of a race. It's 00:06:59.540 --> 00:07:04.060 the idea of a competition. Paul wants his readers 00:07:04.060 --> 00:07:09.839 to understand that his whole, or Luke wants his 00:07:09.839 --> 00:07:15.379 readers to understand, I apologize, that Paul's 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:24.550 whole life was a course. It was a race. It was 00:07:24.550 --> 00:07:28.250 his Christian life, brothers and sisters. It 00:07:28.250 --> 00:07:31.589 wasn't just his spirituality and his piety and 00:07:31.589 --> 00:07:36.430 his godliness. It was everything about his life. 00:07:36.790 --> 00:07:40.230 Everything that it involved. Every aspect and 00:07:40.230 --> 00:07:44.649 every part of it was involved in this race. It 00:07:44.649 --> 00:07:48.810 involves discipline. It involves diligence. It 00:07:48.810 --> 00:07:52.509 involves perseverance. It involves getting... 00:07:52.829 --> 00:07:55.110 Outside of that which is comfortable and that 00:07:55.110 --> 00:07:57.769 which is pleasurable for the sake of running 00:07:57.769 --> 00:08:05.209 well. It involves his whole being, his whole 00:08:05.209 --> 00:08:08.689 character. We find this same language in 1 Corinthians 00:08:08.689 --> 00:08:14.730 9, 24 -27. And we also find it in 2 Timothy 4, 00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:17.430 verse 7, where Paul talks about having fought 00:08:17.430 --> 00:08:22.509 the good fight of faith. When we think about 00:08:22.509 --> 00:08:26.990 a race, it's something that you have to be engaged 00:08:26.990 --> 00:08:32.330 in. It's something that you have to focus your 00:08:32.330 --> 00:08:35.570 mental powers and you have to gather your physical 00:08:35.570 --> 00:08:39.149 forces and your physical ability to be involved 00:08:39.149 --> 00:08:43.490 in because you know that you have a task in front 00:08:43.490 --> 00:08:47.629 of you. This is what Paul wants us to take away. 00:08:48.210 --> 00:08:54.320 But a race, a course, is not indefinite. There's 00:08:54.320 --> 00:09:00.120 a start, and there is an end to it. And Paul 00:09:00.120 --> 00:09:05.039 knew this. He knew that his race was only so 00:09:05.039 --> 00:09:08.919 long, and that it would come to an end one day, 00:09:09.059 --> 00:09:13.539 and that following that race in his life, then 00:09:13.539 --> 00:09:20.279 he would enjoy rest. Then he would enjoy leisure. 00:09:21.159 --> 00:09:25.600 Then he would enjoy his time off, we could say. 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:31.460 Paul intended to run his race, and he intended 00:09:31.460 --> 00:09:38.200 to finish well his Christian life. It was all 00:09:38.200 --> 00:09:42.480 -consuming. He was completely and totally involved 00:09:42.480 --> 00:09:47.639 in it. Every aspect of his life was brought under 00:09:47.639 --> 00:09:50.840 the disciplinary hand of Paul. that he might 00:09:50.840 --> 00:09:55.700 run well and not be disqualified. When we think 00:09:55.700 --> 00:10:01.960 about Paul and his life as a race, it was intentional, 00:10:02.059 --> 00:10:07.799 brothers and sisters. When we think about a large 00:10:07.799 --> 00:10:12.039 majority of professing Christians today and the 00:10:12.039 --> 00:10:17.059 Christian life and the end of their life and 00:10:17.059 --> 00:10:21.429 the glory that is to come, Would we say that 00:10:21.429 --> 00:10:24.710 the majority of those pursuing and seeking to 00:10:24.710 --> 00:10:27.269 be faithful in the Christian life treat it as 00:10:27.269 --> 00:10:29.629 though they have a specific task, a specific 00:10:29.629 --> 00:10:32.210 goal, a specific thing that they're giving themselves 00:10:32.210 --> 00:10:35.029 to, to bring glory to God? Or do they treat it 00:10:35.029 --> 00:10:42.370 more like a theme park? Something that you enter 00:10:42.370 --> 00:10:47.379 into. And you go over here and you... Have to 00:10:47.379 --> 00:10:49.480 walk up the hill to go to the water slide. That 00:10:49.480 --> 00:10:52.320 was a little hard. But I'm going because this 00:10:52.320 --> 00:10:54.220 will be fun and I'm going to slide down. But 00:10:54.220 --> 00:10:55.820 I'm going to go over here and take a respite 00:10:55.820 --> 00:10:58.500 and grab a drink. I'll maybe lay down over here. 00:10:59.519 --> 00:11:05.240 Take some time. Wander around. There's a certain 00:11:05.240 --> 00:11:10.620 aimlessness and purposelessness. And it's all 00:11:10.620 --> 00:11:17.580 about pleasure. Self. Paul did not treat his 00:11:17.580 --> 00:11:23.000 life as a theme park, brothers and sisters. And 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.779 this is where we find immediate application to 00:11:25.779 --> 00:11:30.059 every believer. This language is consistently 00:11:30.059 --> 00:11:34.879 applied to every Christian throughout the Bible, 00:11:35.100 --> 00:11:40.580 throughout the New Testament. Every single believer 00:11:40.580 --> 00:11:46.470 has been given a course to run. To bring glory 00:11:46.470 --> 00:11:51.870 to God. For Paul, faithfulness meant finishing 00:11:51.870 --> 00:11:56.649 this course well. But it also meant finishing 00:11:56.649 --> 00:12:01.389 the ministry that he had been given by the Lord 00:12:01.389 --> 00:12:04.950 Jesus Christ. Notice that he says in verse 24, 00:12:05.250 --> 00:12:09.590 that I may finish my course and the ministry. 00:12:11.409 --> 00:12:15.909 And what does he say about this ministry? He 00:12:15.909 --> 00:12:20.470 says, which I received from the Lord Jesus to 00:12:20.470 --> 00:12:24.649 testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of 00:12:24.649 --> 00:12:32.710 God. Paul's ministry was special and unique. 00:12:33.169 --> 00:12:39.389 We read in Acts chapter 9, verses 15 through 00:12:39.389 --> 00:12:43.610 16, a little bit about his unique and special 00:12:43.610 --> 00:12:51.789 commission. As an apostle of Jesus Christ. In 00:12:51.789 --> 00:12:58.470 Acts 9 verses 15 through 16 we read this. But 00:12:58.470 --> 00:13:03.490 the Lord said to him. Go. For he is a chosen 00:13:03.490 --> 00:13:09.110 instrument of mine. To bear my name before the 00:13:09.110 --> 00:13:13.269 Gentiles. And the kings and kings. And the sons 00:13:13.269 --> 00:13:18.759 of Israel. For I will show him how much he must 00:13:18.759 --> 00:13:24.820 suffer for my namesake. This is where Ananias 00:13:24.820 --> 00:13:29.039 is being sent to the apostle Paul. Paul's been 00:13:29.039 --> 00:13:32.100 converted. And Ananias is a little bit concerned 00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:38.039 because the apostle's a dangerous man. He knows 00:13:38.039 --> 00:13:42.539 who Saul of Tarsus is. He's been going around 00:13:42.539 --> 00:13:44.539 arresting Christians. He's been going around. 00:13:44.830 --> 00:13:47.190 dragging off men and women who claim to be a 00:13:47.190 --> 00:13:49.690 part of the way who know Christ. And this is 00:13:49.690 --> 00:13:53.350 the man that Ananias is being sent to. And what 00:13:53.350 --> 00:13:56.809 does the Lord Jesus say to compel, to encourage 00:13:56.809 --> 00:14:03.110 Ananias? He is my chosen instrument. Meaning 00:14:03.110 --> 00:14:09.529 I have handpicked him for this commission, for 00:14:09.529 --> 00:14:13.509 this task, for this assignment, for this purpose. 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:19.580 So go to him. He's not the same anymore. He will 00:14:19.580 --> 00:14:22.879 be willing to suffer for my sake in the future. 00:14:24.120 --> 00:14:29.700 We read in Galatians chapter 1 of Paul's ministry 00:14:29.700 --> 00:14:38.519 these words. Paul, an apostle, and here it is, 00:14:38.659 --> 00:14:44.809 not sent from men. nor through the agency of 00:14:44.809 --> 00:14:49.669 men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, 00:14:49.789 --> 00:14:56.970 who raised him from the dead. So Paul has a unique 00:14:56.970 --> 00:15:06.570 commission upon his life. One that the Lord Jesus 00:15:06.570 --> 00:15:12.000 Christ has directly and personally given to him 00:15:12.000 --> 00:15:16.059 and called him to. So there's no way that Paul 00:15:16.059 --> 00:15:19.879 can be faithful in life if he is not faithful 00:15:19.879 --> 00:15:24.419 to his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ. 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:29.480 So for Paul, faithfulness means running this 00:15:29.480 --> 00:15:32.679 race as a believer, but it also means being faithful 00:15:32.679 --> 00:15:36.919 to the risen Lord Jesus Christ and the task that 00:15:36.919 --> 00:15:41.090 he has given to him. As an apostle of Jesus Christ. 00:15:41.909 --> 00:15:48.409 Now. Faithfulness also for Paul. Is to be a witness 00:15:48.409 --> 00:15:53.389 of the gospel of the grace of God. He says this 00:15:53.389 --> 00:15:58.210 in the latter part of verse 24. To testify solemnly 00:15:58.210 --> 00:16:02.110 of the gospel of the grace of God. What is the 00:16:02.110 --> 00:16:10.600 heart and the essence. Of Paul's. It is to bear 00:16:10.600 --> 00:16:15.500 witness to the truth about Jesus Christ and the 00:16:15.500 --> 00:16:19.940 grace of God that he himself has personally experienced. 00:16:21.820 --> 00:16:25.039 He's a witness to that which he knows about, 00:16:25.259 --> 00:16:28.460 that which he has seen, that which he has experienced 00:16:28.460 --> 00:16:32.820 personally, and he has been tasked with proclaiming 00:16:32.820 --> 00:16:38.090 that gospel to Jews and Gentiles. in this world, 00:16:38.210 --> 00:16:42.509 brothers and sisters. So Paul, if he is to be 00:16:42.509 --> 00:16:46.889 faithful, he has to run his race, he has to finish 00:16:46.889 --> 00:16:50.470 his ministry, and he has to proclaim the gospel 00:16:50.470 --> 00:16:54.909 of Jesus Christ. Notice this involves every area, 00:16:55.009 --> 00:16:59.350 every part, and every aspect of the apostle's 00:16:59.350 --> 00:17:03.970 life. We could say it's a well -rounded, whole 00:17:03.970 --> 00:17:09.900 -life faithfulness. for the apostle. This is 00:17:09.900 --> 00:17:14.599 what it involved for him. Now, in Paul's mind, 00:17:14.779 --> 00:17:24.619 what does faithfulness require of him? This is 00:17:24.619 --> 00:17:29.500 the second thing we have to consider. What does 00:17:29.500 --> 00:17:37.140 faithfulness require of the apostle Paul? In 00:17:37.140 --> 00:17:42.859 the context of this passage, this text, we know 00:17:42.859 --> 00:17:45.960 because we touched on it last week and the week 00:17:45.960 --> 00:17:51.920 before. It means going to Jerusalem and walking 00:17:51.920 --> 00:17:58.079 into bonds and afflictions. We read this in verses 00:17:58.079 --> 00:18:04.500 22 and 23. Bound by the Spirit, I am on my way 00:18:04.500 --> 00:18:07.460 to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to 00:18:07.460 --> 00:18:12.000 me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly 00:18:12.000 --> 00:18:17.220 testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds 00:18:17.220 --> 00:18:21.460 and afflictions await me. So in the immediate 00:18:21.460 --> 00:18:29.339 context of this scripture, faithfulness requires 00:18:29.339 --> 00:18:33.309 that the apostle... literally go to Jerusalem, 00:18:33.549 --> 00:18:38.670 bring the gifts, proclaim the gospel, lose his 00:18:38.670 --> 00:18:42.509 freedom, become a prisoner, and be led around 00:18:42.509 --> 00:18:46.690 for a long time, but ultimately come to the place 00:18:46.690 --> 00:18:51.589 where he proclaims the gospel in Rome, under 00:18:51.589 --> 00:18:59.150 house arrest. So, it's obvious and clear. That 00:18:59.150 --> 00:19:03.029 Paul is required by faithfulness to endure hardship 00:19:03.029 --> 00:19:08.589 and trial if he wants to maintain fidelity to 00:19:08.589 --> 00:19:13.470 Jesus Christ. But what about in a more general 00:19:13.470 --> 00:19:16.910 way if we think about Paul and his ministry? 00:19:17.589 --> 00:19:20.509 Well, just think about those three things that 00:19:20.509 --> 00:19:25.130 are faithfulness for Paul. The race, the ministry, 00:19:25.349 --> 00:19:30.519 and... Being a witness. If Paul's going to run 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:34.160 his race as a believer, does that require hardship? 00:19:35.180 --> 00:19:40.539 Self -denial? Sacrifice? Is there a cost associated 00:19:40.539 --> 00:19:44.099 with being faithful to Christ for the duration 00:19:44.099 --> 00:19:49.339 of your life? Absolutely yes. What about for 00:19:49.339 --> 00:19:54.700 Paul to fulfill his ministry as an apostle? Well, 00:19:54.720 --> 00:19:57.880 we read in Acts chapter 9, What did the risen 00:19:57.880 --> 00:20:01.019 Lord say to Ananias? I will show him how much 00:20:01.019 --> 00:20:06.720 he must suffer for my namesake. He's required 00:20:06.720 --> 00:20:13.380 to submit himself willingly to hardship in order 00:20:13.380 --> 00:20:17.579 to fulfill the ministry that Christ has entrusted 00:20:17.579 --> 00:20:20.400 to him. What about bearing witness to the gospel 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:27.930 of grace? Why have the Jews So adamantly opposed 00:20:27.930 --> 00:20:32.130 the Apostle Paul throughout the book of Acts. 00:20:33.769 --> 00:20:39.690 Why does he have so many enemies? Why is there 00:20:39.690 --> 00:20:44.930 people always plotting to kill him? Why is there 00:20:44.930 --> 00:20:47.509 always people that want to stop him from what 00:20:47.509 --> 00:20:50.869 he's doing? Because he's bearing witness to the 00:20:50.869 --> 00:20:55.619 grace of God in the gospel. telling people that 00:20:55.619 --> 00:21:00.680 the Messiah has come. He's bearing witness to 00:21:00.680 --> 00:21:05.700 the truth that the Jews killed the Messiah. And 00:21:05.700 --> 00:21:08.400 that if people want to have eternal life, they 00:21:08.400 --> 00:21:11.660 have to trust in Jesus Christ, whom they crucified. 00:21:11.799 --> 00:21:17.440 Therefore, he has enemies. It required great 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:20.660 endurance and diligence and perseverance on his 00:21:20.660 --> 00:21:25.069 part. because affliction was commonplace as a 00:21:25.069 --> 00:21:30.710 witness for the gospel of the grace of God. We 00:21:30.710 --> 00:21:36.130 can think about several different passages. If 00:21:36.130 --> 00:21:43.089 we go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23 00:21:43.089 --> 00:21:49.380 -28, Paul lists many of his afflictions. that 00:21:49.380 --> 00:21:56.880 he willingly endured, 2 Corinthians 11, 23 -28. 00:21:58.319 --> 00:22:02.180 Are they servants of Christ? I speak as if in 00:22:02.180 --> 00:22:08.819 sin. I more so. In far more labors, in far more 00:22:08.819 --> 00:22:14.180 imprisonments, beaten times without number, often 00:22:14.180 --> 00:22:18.160 in danger of death, Five times I received from 00:22:18.160 --> 00:22:22.079 the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:26.400 with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was 00:22:26.400 --> 00:22:28.980 shipwrecked. A night and a day I have spent in 00:22:28.980 --> 00:22:32.890 the deep. I have been in frequent... journeys 00:22:32.890 --> 00:22:36.349 and dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, 00:22:36.410 --> 00:22:39.250 dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the 00:22:39.250 --> 00:22:42.390 Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the 00:22:42.390 --> 00:22:45.109 wilderness, dangers in the sea, dangers among 00:22:45.109 --> 00:22:48.789 false brethren. I have been in labor and hardship 00:22:48.789 --> 00:22:52.130 through many sleepless nights, and hunger and 00:22:52.130 --> 00:22:55.490 thirst, often without food, and cold and exposure. 00:22:55.789 --> 00:23:00.599 Apart from such external things, There is the 00:23:00.599 --> 00:23:06.079 daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. 00:23:07.539 --> 00:23:12.200 What was required of the Apostle Paul in order 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:19.400 that he might be faithful to Jesus Christ? That 00:23:19.400 --> 00:23:25.259 he endure hardship, brothers and sisters. He 00:23:25.259 --> 00:23:29.160 refers to, in other places, The fact that he 00:23:29.160 --> 00:23:33.339 is like a drink offering being poured out on 00:23:33.339 --> 00:23:37.920 the sacrifice and service of others' faith. He's 00:23:37.920 --> 00:23:40.980 a drink offering that's being sacrificed to God 00:23:40.980 --> 00:23:48.660 for others. And he willingly does this. So in 00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:52.319 a more general way, Paul certainly believed and 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:57.460 taught that faithfulness always comes with... 00:23:57.660 --> 00:24:05.339 A cost. In fact. For Paul. His faithfulness. 00:24:07.440 --> 00:24:12.859 Depends. On his willingness. To sacrifice. For 00:24:12.859 --> 00:24:19.299 the gospel. If he is unwilling. To sacrifice. 00:24:20.980 --> 00:24:24.619 Then he cannot be faithful. To the risen Lord 00:24:24.619 --> 00:24:28.059 Jesus Christ. Listen to what he says in the first 00:24:28.059 --> 00:24:34.000 half of verse 24 in Acts 20. But I do not consider 00:24:34.000 --> 00:24:39.920 my life of any account as dear to myself, so 00:24:39.920 --> 00:24:48.140 that, so that, brothers and sisters, why does 00:24:48.140 --> 00:24:57.359 Paul hold his life lightly? that he might finish 00:24:57.359 --> 00:25:02.839 his race, his ministry, and that he might bear 00:25:02.839 --> 00:25:07.019 witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was 00:25:07.019 --> 00:25:11.500 necessary for him in order that he might be faithful 00:25:11.500 --> 00:25:18.079 to the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Faithfulness 00:25:18.079 --> 00:25:24.589 always comes with a cost. That's not just something 00:25:24.589 --> 00:25:28.910 that's true for the Apostle Paul. We come to 00:25:28.910 --> 00:25:33.410 this text, and I think the modern believer has 00:25:33.410 --> 00:25:38.549 a little bit of difficulty with it. Honestly, 00:25:38.630 --> 00:25:45.210 you can't tell me that Jesus Christ expects me 00:25:45.210 --> 00:25:52.740 to be willing to die for him. He died for me. 00:25:54.519 --> 00:25:58.319 Honestly, you can't expect me to be willing to 00:25:58.319 --> 00:26:01.539 give up everything for the gospel. Isn't that 00:26:01.539 --> 00:26:14.920 radical? Isn't that a little bit crazy? Isn't 00:26:14.920 --> 00:26:22.900 that a little bit fundamentalist thinking? Require 00:26:22.900 --> 00:26:29.579 all of you? Does Christ require everything of 00:26:29.579 --> 00:26:35.079 a sinner when he saves them? Is that radical? 00:26:35.900 --> 00:26:40.859 Is that crazy? Brothers and sisters, this is 00:26:40.859 --> 00:26:44.059 not something that was simply true of the Apostle 00:26:44.059 --> 00:26:47.160 Paul. This is true of the believer in every day 00:26:47.160 --> 00:26:56.279 and every age. that has been purchased by the 00:26:56.279 --> 00:27:01.000 blood of Jesus Christ, is required to give everything 00:27:01.000 --> 00:27:05.559 to Jesus Christ. Their heart, their mind, their 00:27:05.559 --> 00:27:08.500 soul, their belongings, their time, their money, 00:27:08.640 --> 00:27:10.880 their family, their friends, their attitudes, 00:27:11.160 --> 00:27:16.400 their will, their affections, everything. He 00:27:16.400 --> 00:27:18.900 did not die just to get your heart, brothers 00:27:18.900 --> 00:27:24.599 and sisters. Jesus Christ died for all of you 00:27:24.599 --> 00:27:30.519 and all of your life. And he did in fact purchase 00:27:30.519 --> 00:27:35.339 all of you and all of your life if he has died 00:27:35.339 --> 00:27:43.299 for you. Every Christian of all time is required 00:27:43.299 --> 00:27:49.099 to give everything to Christ. This is a Christian 00:27:49.099 --> 00:27:52.619 paradigm, pattern, and principle. One of the 00:27:52.619 --> 00:27:54.980 reasons I think we have so much difficulty with 00:27:54.980 --> 00:28:00.900 it is because that's such a foreign idea for 00:28:00.900 --> 00:28:07.319 us in our nation. The fact that we would have 00:28:07.319 --> 00:28:13.619 to give up and sacrifice certain things. There's 00:28:13.619 --> 00:28:16.019 many people all around the world, brothers and 00:28:16.019 --> 00:28:21.450 sisters, even to this day, that willingly give 00:28:21.450 --> 00:28:25.990 their lives because they refuse to deny Jesus 00:28:25.990 --> 00:28:30.990 Christ as Lord and Savior. There are fathers 00:28:30.990 --> 00:28:33.750 who are martyred in front of their families. 00:28:33.829 --> 00:28:36.190 And there are families that are martyred in front 00:28:36.190 --> 00:28:38.630 of their fathers. Why? Because they won't recount 00:28:38.630 --> 00:28:44.430 that Jesus Christ is in fact Lord. In the modern 00:28:44.430 --> 00:28:52.779 world. Just not here. This is not radical. This 00:28:52.779 --> 00:28:56.900 is basic Christianity, brothers and sisters. 00:28:58.259 --> 00:29:02.440 That when Jesus Christ died for you, he purchased 00:29:02.440 --> 00:29:08.400 all of you, and he requires all of you. Isn't 00:29:08.400 --> 00:29:12.279 this what the Lord himself taught in Matthew 00:29:12.279 --> 00:29:18.529 chapter 16? In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus says 00:29:18.529 --> 00:29:30.890 this. Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone 00:29:30.890 --> 00:29:35.349 wishes to come after me, he must deny himself 00:29:35.349 --> 00:29:40.650 and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever 00:29:40.650 --> 00:29:44.920 wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever 00:29:44.920 --> 00:29:48.859 loses his life for my sake will find it. For 00:29:48.859 --> 00:29:51.460 what will profit a man if he gains the whole 00:29:51.460 --> 00:29:55.900 world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man 00:29:55.900 --> 00:29:59.220 give in exchange for a soul? For the Son of Man 00:29:59.220 --> 00:30:02.019 is going to come in the glory of his Father with 00:30:02.019 --> 00:30:06.700 his angels, and will then repay every man according 00:30:06.700 --> 00:30:10.640 to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some 00:30:10.640 --> 00:30:13.319 of those who are standing here who will not taste 00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:16.420 death until they see the Son of Man coming in 00:30:16.420 --> 00:30:23.519 his kingdom. True followers of Christ are always 00:30:23.519 --> 00:30:28.079 brought to a place of self -denial and sacrifice 00:30:28.079 --> 00:30:34.799 on behalf of faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ. 00:30:35.559 --> 00:30:41.799 Every single time. Does your Christianity cost 00:30:41.799 --> 00:30:52.619 you? What does your faith require of you? Does 00:30:52.619 --> 00:30:57.259 it force you to give up certain things? Does 00:30:57.259 --> 00:30:59.660 the Spirit of God dwelling within you bring conviction 00:30:59.660 --> 00:31:03.759 into your life and say, that's wrong? You can't 00:31:03.759 --> 00:31:05.759 live like that. You're not allowed to be like 00:31:05.759 --> 00:31:11.079 that. you forced to deal with issues in your 00:31:11.079 --> 00:31:14.880 heart and in your mind and in your life? Are 00:31:14.880 --> 00:31:16.720 you ever brought to a place where there's humility 00:31:16.720 --> 00:31:19.440 and shame that you willingly embrace in order 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:25.720 to be faithful to Christ? What does your Christianity 00:31:25.720 --> 00:31:31.559 cost you, brother, or you, sister? Because true 00:31:31.559 --> 00:31:37.019 Christianity is always costly. Following Christ 00:31:37.019 --> 00:31:43.559 is always It's as though you come to faithfulness. 00:31:43.980 --> 00:31:49.740 And faithfulness says, if you want me, pay up. 00:31:52.420 --> 00:31:57.460 Give me that. Get rid of that. You're not allowed 00:31:57.460 --> 00:32:00.640 to do that. You can't have that, but you can 00:32:00.640 --> 00:32:06.380 have me. And you can have Christ. You can have 00:32:06.380 --> 00:32:08.480 the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ 00:32:08.480 --> 00:32:10.980 in greater measure, in greater degree. You can 00:32:10.980 --> 00:32:14.200 know God in all His fullness in greater measure, 00:32:14.299 --> 00:32:18.079 in greater degree. You can be more encouraged. 00:32:18.460 --> 00:32:21.480 You can have more joy. You can have greater peace 00:32:21.480 --> 00:32:26.019 in your soul. But give that up. You see, the 00:32:26.019 --> 00:32:30.740 problem, brothers and sisters, is that we live 00:32:30.740 --> 00:32:34.380 in a context of the world, the flesh, and the 00:32:34.380 --> 00:32:39.470 devil. That is why faithfulness will always be 00:32:39.470 --> 00:32:44.170 costly. Because we live in a world of unbelievers. 00:32:44.589 --> 00:32:47.230 We live in a world of men who don't understand 00:32:47.230 --> 00:32:50.009 Christianity. They don't know Christianity. And 00:32:50.009 --> 00:32:52.849 they can't receive Christianity unless God saves 00:32:52.849 --> 00:32:57.789 them. We are the light walking in darkness. And 00:32:57.789 --> 00:33:01.269 we are walking among dead men. Dead men don't 00:33:01.269 --> 00:33:05.430 want to hear the truth. So there will always 00:33:05.430 --> 00:33:10.710 be hardship associated with it. We are people, 00:33:10.990 --> 00:33:13.930 brothers and sisters, that dwell in the context 00:33:13.930 --> 00:33:19.009 of the flesh and corruption, our own and that 00:33:19.009 --> 00:33:27.109 of others. Our flesh does not want to let go 00:33:27.109 --> 00:33:32.319 of certain sinful tendencies, but You, as those 00:33:32.319 --> 00:33:34.700 being made in the likeness and image of Christ 00:33:34.700 --> 00:33:38.160 in the inner man, long for righteousness and 00:33:38.160 --> 00:33:40.960 holiness. There's something that's propelling 00:33:40.960 --> 00:33:43.480 you to that which is good and that which is godly, 00:33:43.559 --> 00:33:48.839 but there's part of you that is clinging to that 00:33:48.839 --> 00:33:53.900 which you ought not to be. What does that require 00:33:53.900 --> 00:33:57.200 if you are to lay hold of that which is faithful 00:33:57.200 --> 00:34:02.769 and good? To let go. To give up, to sacrifice, 00:34:03.029 --> 00:34:09.409 to mortify. Faithfulness is costly. But it's 00:34:09.409 --> 00:34:12.269 also costly because we have a real enemy that 00:34:12.269 --> 00:34:18.190 hates faithful Christians. We have a real enemy 00:34:18.190 --> 00:34:21.809 who's out to get faithful believers. To bring 00:34:21.809 --> 00:34:26.329 a stain upon the name of Jesus Christ. To bring 00:34:26.329 --> 00:34:31.179 you down or to puff you up. That's what the enemy 00:34:31.179 --> 00:34:34.219 wants to do. He wants you to fall into the trap 00:34:34.219 --> 00:34:42.480 of being so despairing or so arrogant. And he 00:34:42.480 --> 00:34:46.719 will take any road that he can get there. He 00:34:46.719 --> 00:34:49.320 will do anything that he can to bring you to 00:34:49.320 --> 00:34:54.260 those points. We have an enemy that does not 00:34:54.260 --> 00:34:56.739 want us to be faithful. Therefore, it will cost 00:34:56.739 --> 00:35:03.710 the Christian to be. Isn't this what Romans 12 00:35:03.710 --> 00:35:08.269 teaches us? That we are to be living sacrifices? 00:35:10.210 --> 00:35:14.250 That we are to constantly be giving all of ourselves 00:35:14.250 --> 00:35:18.610 to Christ because of the work that He has accomplished 00:35:18.610 --> 00:35:28.980 in our lives? Faithfulness always requires A 00:35:28.980 --> 00:35:32.440 cost. Now this brings us to the last thing we 00:35:32.440 --> 00:35:35.619 have to consider. What motivated the apostle 00:35:35.619 --> 00:35:41.619 in his willingness to sacrifice for the sake 00:35:41.619 --> 00:35:44.679 of faithfulness? And this is really where the 00:35:44.679 --> 00:35:46.860 rubber meets the road for us, isn't it, brothers 00:35:46.860 --> 00:35:52.480 and sisters? Every born -again believer in this 00:35:52.480 --> 00:35:59.289 room wants to be more faithful. I know you do. 00:36:00.750 --> 00:36:04.369 Because that is true of every single person who 00:36:04.369 --> 00:36:08.230 has tasted of the grace of God. Every single 00:36:08.230 --> 00:36:10.269 person who has the Spirit of God's one within 00:36:10.269 --> 00:36:13.949 you, he gives them a desire for holiness. He 00:36:13.949 --> 00:36:20.730 is the Holy Spirit of God. So every true born 00:36:20.730 --> 00:36:24.329 -again believer in here has a desire for greater 00:36:24.329 --> 00:36:28.090 faithfulness. So what is it, brothers and sisters, 00:36:28.170 --> 00:36:32.150 that compels us, that drives us, that motivates 00:36:32.150 --> 00:36:38.230 us to faithfulness? Faithfulness isn't what produces 00:36:38.230 --> 00:36:43.070 faithfulness. There's something underneath faithfulness 00:36:43.070 --> 00:36:49.750 that gives us a willingness and a desire to be 00:36:49.750 --> 00:36:54.630 faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. So what is 00:36:54.630 --> 00:36:58.659 it? If you can figure out what that is, if we 00:36:58.659 --> 00:37:01.500 can figure out what that is, then you can grow 00:37:01.500 --> 00:37:03.639 in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus 00:37:03.639 --> 00:37:08.579 Christ. If you can figure out how to be and what 00:37:08.579 --> 00:37:11.900 it is that causes you to be more faithful and 00:37:11.900 --> 00:37:15.639 to grow and desire to grow in your Christianity 00:37:15.639 --> 00:37:18.849 and your faith. And brothers and sisters, you 00:37:18.849 --> 00:37:22.050 can run wild in the grace of God and seeking 00:37:22.050 --> 00:37:24.929 out Christ. You can grow and be godly, mature, 00:37:25.110 --> 00:37:27.489 holy Christians and bring more and more glory 00:37:27.489 --> 00:37:31.929 and more and more honor to Christ. So what is 00:37:31.929 --> 00:37:43.389 it? We see that something in verse 24 is bringing 00:37:43.389 --> 00:37:48.480 Paul to a point. Where he is able to say, I do 00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:53.239 not consider my life of any account as dear to 00:37:53.239 --> 00:38:01.239 myself. What is it that compels and enables Paul 00:38:01.239 --> 00:38:06.260 to be able to say that? Well, this motivation 00:38:06.260 --> 00:38:10.300 begins by knowing, brothers and sisters, that 00:38:10.300 --> 00:38:16.280 Jesus Christ died to purchase you. And your life. 00:38:17.599 --> 00:38:19.699 Listen to what Paul says. A little bit later 00:38:19.699 --> 00:38:27.099 in verse 20. In chapter 20. He says this. Be 00:38:27.099 --> 00:38:30.820 on guard for yourselves. And for all the flock. 00:38:31.300 --> 00:38:34.460 Among which the Holy Spirit. Has made you overseers. 00:38:34.880 --> 00:38:39.059 To shepherd the church of God. Which he purchased. 00:38:39.559 --> 00:38:45.590 With his own blood. Christ has purchased the 00:38:45.590 --> 00:38:51.429 church with his own blood. He has purchased uniquely 00:38:51.429 --> 00:39:00.309 and distinctly the people of God. The church 00:39:00.309 --> 00:39:06.130 is not its own. The hope of the believer in the 00:39:06.130 --> 00:39:09.369 church is in fact that they are not their own. 00:39:10.530 --> 00:39:13.699 That means that if... Christ has purchased you. 00:39:13.800 --> 00:39:17.739 You are not your own in this life, but it also 00:39:17.739 --> 00:39:20.059 means that you are not your own, but you belong 00:39:20.059 --> 00:39:24.659 wholly unto the Lord Jesus Christ in life and 00:39:24.659 --> 00:39:31.900 in death. You are His possession. You belong 00:39:31.900 --> 00:39:36.019 to Him. And He is a good Lord, and He is a good 00:39:36.019 --> 00:39:39.960 Master, and He has good things in store for you 00:39:39.960 --> 00:39:42.730 in this life. but He also has greater things 00:39:42.730 --> 00:39:46.489 in store for you in the next and the age to come. 00:39:47.769 --> 00:39:51.170 So we have to start with the fact that Christ 00:39:51.170 --> 00:39:56.670 died to purchase sinners and their whole life. 00:39:57.690 --> 00:40:03.510 It requires that a person not just know that 00:40:03.510 --> 00:40:07.329 Christ has died and purchased them on the cross. 00:40:08.460 --> 00:40:10.860 But brothers and sisters, it requires that a 00:40:10.860 --> 00:40:17.559 person personally experience the power of God, 00:40:17.699 --> 00:40:21.039 the grace of God to change them and transform 00:40:21.039 --> 00:40:25.559 them. This is why we read in 1 Corinthians 15 00:40:25.559 --> 00:40:29.539 about Paul and the Lord Jesus revealing himself 00:40:29.539 --> 00:40:33.239 last of all to Paul and that the grace of God 00:40:33.239 --> 00:40:35.880 has changed him and it is by the grace of God 00:40:35.880 --> 00:40:38.179 that he is what he is. and that the grace of 00:40:38.179 --> 00:40:41.480 God with him did not prove vain, but he worked 00:40:41.480 --> 00:40:46.920 more than all the others. You have to experience 00:40:46.920 --> 00:40:51.559 the grace of God personally by being transformed 00:40:51.559 --> 00:40:55.539 by the Spirit of God if you are ever to be faithful 00:40:55.539 --> 00:41:04.519 unto Christ. One of the primary reasons that 00:41:04.519 --> 00:41:10.369 professing believers struggle with faithfulness, 00:41:10.409 --> 00:41:15.550 and the reason that they are unfaithful is because 00:41:15.550 --> 00:41:22.449 they've never known the grace of God. They're 00:41:22.449 --> 00:41:28.949 living moral lives, good lives. They're riding 00:41:28.949 --> 00:41:35.199 the wave of tradition and family faith. For they've 00:41:35.199 --> 00:41:38.159 never tasted of the grace of God themselves and 00:41:38.159 --> 00:41:44.599 their own souls. Morality is insufficient for 00:41:44.599 --> 00:41:47.539 faithfulness, brothers and sisters. Legalism 00:41:47.539 --> 00:41:52.579 is insufficient for faithfulness. You have to 00:41:52.579 --> 00:41:55.719 taste of the grace of God yourself and be made 00:41:55.719 --> 00:41:59.460 a new creature in Christ if you are ever to truly 00:41:59.460 --> 00:42:02.900 and genuinely and sincerely from the heart Glorify 00:42:02.900 --> 00:42:12.960 God and enjoy Him. So it requires that God Himself 00:42:12.960 --> 00:42:17.920 change you supernaturally by the Spirit of God. 00:42:18.820 --> 00:42:25.900 Have you been changed by the power of God? Have 00:42:25.900 --> 00:42:31.130 you been transformed by the grace of God? Do 00:42:31.130 --> 00:42:34.030 you have a true and a genuine and a sincere desire 00:42:34.030 --> 00:42:37.530 to bring glory to Christ and to exalt the name 00:42:37.530 --> 00:42:42.070 of Christ? Do you have a desire for Christ and 00:42:42.070 --> 00:42:45.570 His purposes to succeed and prevail in this world? 00:42:45.710 --> 00:42:48.469 Do you have a desire to worship the living God 00:42:48.469 --> 00:42:53.909 that only comes by tasting of the Spirit of God 00:42:53.909 --> 00:42:59.570 personally yourself and coming to a place Where 00:42:59.570 --> 00:43:02.829 you see your own sin and you turn from your sin 00:43:02.829 --> 00:43:07.829 and you trust in Christ and Christ alone. There's 00:43:07.829 --> 00:43:11.690 many today who attend church, who use the name 00:43:11.690 --> 00:43:14.230 of Christ, who say they're a Christian, but they 00:43:14.230 --> 00:43:20.369 don't know the glorious gospel of grace. You 00:43:20.369 --> 00:43:24.909 must know it personally. You must be in a saving 00:43:24.909 --> 00:43:28.320 union with Jesus Christ. And being dwelt by the 00:43:28.320 --> 00:43:32.860 spirit of God. If you are ever. To walk in faithfulness. 00:43:32.860 --> 00:43:39.800 To the Lord Jesus Christ. Now. This motivation 00:43:39.800 --> 00:43:46.820 and desire. Is cultivated. In a believer's life. 00:43:46.920 --> 00:43:50.360 Somebody who has been transformed. It is cultivated. 00:43:51.460 --> 00:43:57.829 By continually. And increasingly. Setting your 00:43:57.829 --> 00:44:03.329 heart's affection supremely upon Jesus Christ. 00:44:05.989 --> 00:44:10.090 We read in Philippians. We'll go ahead and turn 00:44:10.090 --> 00:44:16.369 there. Philippians 3. This is where Paul is talking 00:44:16.369 --> 00:44:21.449 about the goal of life as a believer. He goes 00:44:21.449 --> 00:44:23.329 through and lists all these things that were 00:44:23.329 --> 00:44:28.570 true of him. Before he knew Christ. And here's 00:44:28.570 --> 00:44:32.469 what he says. But whatever things were gained 00:44:32.469 --> 00:44:38.730 to me, those things I have counted as loss for 00:44:38.730 --> 00:44:44.090 the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all 00:44:44.090 --> 00:44:49.090 things to be loss in view of the surpassing value 00:44:49.090 --> 00:44:54.489 of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I 00:44:54.489 --> 00:44:57.190 have suffered the loss of all things and count 00:44:57.190 --> 00:45:01.389 them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ and 00:45:01.389 --> 00:45:04.050 may be found in Him not having a righteousness 00:45:04.050 --> 00:45:07.570 of my own derived from the law, but that which 00:45:07.570 --> 00:45:11.030 is through faith in Christ, the righteousness 00:45:11.030 --> 00:45:14.670 which comes from God on the basis of faith, that 00:45:14.670 --> 00:45:18.730 I may know Him and the power of His resurrection 00:45:18.730 --> 00:45:23.400 and the fellowship of His sufferings. Being conformed 00:45:23.400 --> 00:45:27.500 to his death in order that I may attain to the 00:45:27.500 --> 00:45:34.119 resurrection from the dead. What is it that compelled 00:45:34.119 --> 00:45:39.800 Paul to let go of everything else? Brothers and 00:45:39.800 --> 00:45:43.320 sisters, what is it that compelled Paul and drove 00:45:43.320 --> 00:45:47.239 Paul to say everything is lost? It is personal, 00:45:47.380 --> 00:45:51.159 experiential communion and fellowship with Jesus 00:45:51.159 --> 00:45:56.500 Christ. That is the only thing that will compel 00:45:56.500 --> 00:46:00.139 a person to willingly suffer and willingly give 00:46:00.139 --> 00:46:04.179 up for Jesus Christ. It is to know Him by faith. 00:46:05.360 --> 00:46:08.719 Head knowledge won't do for this task, brothers 00:46:08.719 --> 00:46:13.400 and sisters. This has got to make its way down 00:46:13.400 --> 00:46:18.280 into your heart. You can know Christ as you can 00:46:18.280 --> 00:46:21.280 know a person sitting next to you. You have to 00:46:21.280 --> 00:46:23.300 do away with the theories and you have to do 00:46:23.300 --> 00:46:26.000 away with the conceptual Christianity and seek 00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:30.659 Him as a person. And have fellowship with Him 00:46:30.659 --> 00:46:36.320 as a man on the throne of God. You have to know 00:46:36.320 --> 00:46:39.880 Him better. Know Him in greater ways. And that 00:46:39.880 --> 00:46:45.900 has to increasingly grow. must be supreme in 00:46:45.900 --> 00:46:49.360 your heart and in your life. And as that supremacy 00:46:49.360 --> 00:46:52.840 settles in and grows in your soul, what happens? 00:46:53.280 --> 00:46:57.920 The glory and greatness of Christ begins to outweigh 00:46:57.920 --> 00:47:02.380 everything else in your life. The glory and greatness 00:47:02.380 --> 00:47:04.619 of Christ, as your heart's affections are set 00:47:04.619 --> 00:47:09.840 upon Him, begin to eclipse every other affection 00:47:09.840 --> 00:47:15.050 of your heart. All your desires are consumed 00:47:15.050 --> 00:47:18.989 by His greatness. All your longings are consumed 00:47:18.989 --> 00:47:21.969 by His person and His being, brothers and sisters. 00:47:23.489 --> 00:47:26.250 This is the only way that a person will ever 00:47:26.250 --> 00:47:32.369 be compelled to willingly embrace the race, the 00:47:32.369 --> 00:47:38.250 ministry, and being faithful to Christ in all 00:47:38.250 --> 00:47:43.679 things. This is the only way that a person is 00:47:43.679 --> 00:47:48.539 compelled to willingly sacrifice for Jesus Christ. 00:47:49.000 --> 00:47:53.920 You must love him above everything else in your 00:47:53.920 --> 00:48:00.119 heart and in your life. If other things are the 00:48:00.119 --> 00:48:06.860 supreme object, that thing will inform how you 00:48:06.860 --> 00:48:13.429 relate to Christ in Christianity. Now, earlier 00:48:13.429 --> 00:48:18.010 we read from Matthew and Christ's call to disciples 00:48:18.010 --> 00:48:23.269 to die to themselves and the fact that they would 00:48:23.269 --> 00:48:26.710 have to have self -denial as a result of being 00:48:26.710 --> 00:48:29.650 a true disciple. And that being a true disciple 00:48:29.650 --> 00:48:33.849 always leads to self -denial. But I want us to 00:48:33.849 --> 00:48:49.420 read Luke chapter 14, verse 26 as well. In Luke 00:48:49.420 --> 00:49:00.539 14, we'll read verses 25 through 27. Now, large 00:49:00.539 --> 00:49:05.679 crowds were going along with him. And he turned 00:49:05.679 --> 00:49:09.380 and said to them. So that's the context of Luke 00:49:09.380 --> 00:49:15.659 14. Large crowds. Lots of professing disciples 00:49:15.659 --> 00:49:20.730 are following Christ. Christ had many disciples 00:49:20.730 --> 00:49:27.670 who loved to get fed by his miracles. Christ 00:49:27.670 --> 00:49:30.429 had many disciples who loved to get from Christ. 00:49:31.750 --> 00:49:34.469 Christ had many disciples who loved to receive 00:49:34.469 --> 00:49:40.610 and loved to see what he could do. But he didn't 00:49:40.610 --> 00:49:46.110 have as many disciples who were willing to leave 00:49:46.110 --> 00:49:50.909 their homes. willing to give up everything they've 00:49:50.909 --> 00:49:56.150 ever known to follow him. Here's what he says. 00:49:56.849 --> 00:50:01.989 If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own 00:50:01.989 --> 00:50:05.409 father and mother and wife and children and brothers 00:50:05.409 --> 00:50:11.329 and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot 00:50:11.329 --> 00:50:16.869 be my disciple. Those are strong words, aren't 00:50:16.869 --> 00:50:20.130 they, brothers and sisters? Now, is Christ saying 00:50:20.130 --> 00:50:24.010 that you have to literally hate your relatives? 00:50:24.130 --> 00:50:29.369 No, he's using hyperbole. And what is he trying 00:50:29.369 --> 00:50:32.650 to convey in this hyperbole? Using this grandiose 00:50:32.650 --> 00:50:36.769 language. He's trying to convey the fact that 00:50:36.769 --> 00:50:40.909 love for Christ must be superior and supreme 00:50:40.909 --> 00:50:46.690 and inform and overwhelm every other love in 00:50:46.690 --> 00:50:52.750 your life. Our love for Christ must direct and 00:50:52.750 --> 00:50:57.769 dictate every other love in our life. Brothers 00:50:57.769 --> 00:51:06.550 and sisters, I love you. I love the people of 00:51:06.550 --> 00:51:11.269 our church. I love my brothers and sisters in 00:51:11.269 --> 00:51:17.110 Christ. I love my family. I love my dear wife. 00:51:17.690 --> 00:51:30.250 I love my... But I love Jesus Christ more than 00:51:30.250 --> 00:51:35.989 I love you. I love Jesus Christ more than I love 00:51:35.989 --> 00:51:41.829 my family. And the day that that is called into 00:51:41.829 --> 00:51:49.380 question will be a sad day for me. That's the 00:51:49.380 --> 00:51:53.980 meaning of being a true disciple. That our heart's 00:51:53.980 --> 00:51:57.380 affection are supremely set upon Christ, His 00:51:57.380 --> 00:52:00.639 person, His will, and all that He requires of 00:52:00.639 --> 00:52:03.420 us, and everything else is filled in as a result 00:52:03.420 --> 00:52:08.260 of that. I cannot love you or my wife or my children 00:52:08.260 --> 00:52:11.000 more than I love Christ, because then my love 00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:16.670 for Him would be informed by that love. The same 00:52:16.670 --> 00:52:21.130 must be true of every single person in this sanctuary 00:52:21.130 --> 00:52:24.489 if they are to be a true and genuine disciple 00:52:24.489 --> 00:52:30.909 of Jesus Christ. This and this alone, brothers 00:52:30.909 --> 00:52:36.289 and sisters, results inevitably in a willingness 00:52:36.289 --> 00:52:43.869 to suffer for the sake of faithfulness. So if 00:52:43.869 --> 00:52:48.929 you, as Grace Fellowship Church, want to cultivate 00:52:48.929 --> 00:52:53.170 and nurture faithfulness in your life, what do 00:52:53.170 --> 00:52:59.210 you need to do? You need to cultivate love for 00:52:59.210 --> 00:53:04.090 the person and the work of Jesus Christ. You 00:53:04.090 --> 00:53:06.750 need to fill your mind with the scriptures that 00:53:06.750 --> 00:53:09.190 speak of Christ and teach about Christ and his 00:53:09.190 --> 00:53:13.579 work. You need to nurture your heart in the grace 00:53:13.579 --> 00:53:18.679 of God. You need fresh views and fresh glimpses 00:53:18.679 --> 00:53:20.800 of Christ that the Spirit of God would bless 00:53:20.800 --> 00:53:26.179 that faith and grow you through that faith. You 00:53:26.179 --> 00:53:28.579 need to come to a point where you love Jesus 00:53:28.579 --> 00:53:33.739 Christ more than everything else in your life. 00:53:36.099 --> 00:53:40.000 If we want to love Christ, if we want to love... 00:53:40.159 --> 00:53:42.920 and be faithful to Christ, brothers and sisters. 00:53:43.500 --> 00:53:49.079 We must cultivate and nurture love for Christ 00:53:49.079 --> 00:53:55.980 in our hearts and let that order everything else 00:53:55.980 --> 00:54:02.039 in our lives. So we've seen what faithfulness 00:54:02.039 --> 00:54:06.500 meant for Paul. We've seen what faithfulness 00:54:06.500 --> 00:54:11.380 required. And that faithfulness still requires 00:54:11.380 --> 00:54:18.539 a cost for believers. But we've also seen, brothers 00:54:18.539 --> 00:54:22.420 and sisters, a glorious reality that when a person 00:54:22.420 --> 00:54:25.139 comes to know Christ truly and genuinely and 00:54:25.139 --> 00:54:27.800 they come to love His grace and have Him supremely 00:54:27.800 --> 00:54:30.940 in their heart, that they will be willing to 00:54:30.940 --> 00:54:36.539 do anything Christ says because of their love 00:54:36.539 --> 00:54:37.380 for Him.