How To Keep From Falling

Text: Acts 20:25-38

Title; How to keep from falling

Introduction

1.The Elders grief was not seeing the face of Paul again(v38)

2.The Apostle Paul’s grief was that some in the church would fall away (v29-31)

Why do some in the church fall away?

1.An attack from outside the church (v29)

2.An attack from inside the church (v30)

How do we keep ourselves from falling?

1.By committing ourselves to the care of God (v2)

“Now I commit you to God…”

Amplified version reads “And now brethren, I commit you to God. That is, I deposit you in His charge, entrusting you to His protection and care.”

A. Some Biblical Examples of those who committed themselves to God’s care …

•David (Psalm 23)

•Moses (Psalm 91)

•Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3)

B. Some of the benefits of committing ourselves to the care of God include

1.Success (Pr. 16:3)

2.Strength (2 Chron. 16:9)

2.By committing ourselves to the Word of God (v32b)

“and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

A.Some Biblical Examples of those who committed themselves to the Word of God…

•David (Psalm 119)

•Jesus (Matthew 4)

•Timothy (2 Timothy 3)

B.Some of the benefits of committing ourselves to the Word of God

It builds you up spiritually (v32b)

It gives you an inheritance among the saints (v32b)

3.By committing ourselves to prayer (v36)

“When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.”

A.Some Biblical examples of those who committed themselves to prayer

•The Apostles (Acts 1)

•Cornelius (Acts 10)

•The Church in Jerusalem (Acts 12)

B.Some of the benefits of committing ourselves to prayer

Power (Acts 2)

Growth (Acts 2)

Unity (Acts 11)

4.By committing ourselves to follow the example of Christ (v33-35)

“I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”

A.Some Biblical Examples of those who committed to follow the example of Christ

•Paul (Gal. 2:20)

•The church at Thessalonica (1Thess. 1:7)

B.Some of the benefits of committing ourselves to following the example of Christ

We will be blessed (v35)

We will be givers (v35)

We will be free from the love of the world (v33)

We will be kept from falling