NO HOLDING BACK
A single step with no regret is our theme today. There’s a saying “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. How do we take those steps that we need to take? How do we live with no regret? To look back over your life sometimes can be filled with regrets and bring incredible pain as we find with the following examples.
A war veteran regrets killing an enemy soldier whom he now believes was trying to surrender. A woman regrets not being able to say goodbye to her husband who dies overnight in hospital. An older man looks back over his life and says that he wished he had risked more, loved more and been more courageous. How are we going to live a life with no regrets? We’ve got to make some decisions to not hold back.
There’s been a lot of holding back in the last few years. As we go into 2007 we must make a decision to not hold back.
The apostle Paul had this spirit that is worthy of imitation. Where did he learn it? From the master Jesus Christ.
Acts 20:13 We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
Acts 20:14 When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
Acts 20:15 The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.
Acts 20:16 Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
Acts 20:17 From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
Acts 20:18 When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia.
Acts 20:19 I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews.
Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Acts 20:22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.
Acts 20:23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
Acts 20:24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.
Acts 20:25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
Acts 20:26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
Acts 20:27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
Acts 20:28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
Acts 20:29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
Acts 20:30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
Acts 20:31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
Acts 20:32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
Acts 20:33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
Acts 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
Acts 20:35 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.’"
Acts 20:36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
Acts 20:37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.
Acts 20:38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Two areas that Paul did not hold back.
Acts 20:20 You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be.
Acts 20:27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
I have not hesitated to preach.
I have not hesitated to proclaim.
Paul did not hold back when it came to preaching the word. As we enter into 2007 we need to have this same spirit towards sharing the word of God. Don’t hesitate. There are people right now that all of us know we need to share the word with. We have family and friends, co-workers and students that we have hesitated with. We’ve held back. No more! We need to share with them! We need to make it happen.
You say well I’ve shared with them. I’ve invited them to church but they won’t come. Inviting someone to church is not sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. It’s a beginning but don’t stop there. Share your testimony. Don’t hold back, don’t hesitate. Share it with them.
Paul also said I did not hesitate to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Proclaim means to announce officially or publicly; to declare. You may not have the opportunity to do what Paul is doing to publicly proclaim the will of God in this way but that doesn’t mean you can’t proclaim.
Listen when God gives you an audience then take it. Don’t hesitate, don’t hold back. Give your heart.
There are there a few other areas that I want to focus on where we have been holding back.
Relationships
1.Warn
In Paul’s relationships there was love but there was also warnings. We don’t warn to be mean we warn out of love.
Acts 20:32 "Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.
2.I commit you to God and His word.
Paul knew that he was leaving and he committed his relationships to God and His word. However even when we are in one another’s presence we must commit one another to God and His word.
We do what we can; we serve, we pray, we give, we share truths but sometimes all of us don’t get it. We still must have that spirit. I commit you to God and His word.
Sometimes people are hardhearted and don’t want to listen. We do what we can; we serve, we pray, we give, we share truths but people can be stubborn, hardhearted. I commit you to God and His word.
Jesus dying words were, “Father into your hands I commit my spirit.” Jesus knew that ultimately he wanted His spirit to be in the hands of the Father. We want ultimately our brothers and sisters to be in the hand of the Father. God knows how to get people where they need to be and often His discipling can be at times a lot harder than what we would ever give or a lot more gracious.
We would never have someone get into an accident to get someone’s attention.
We would never allow someone to have a physical tragedy to get him or her to change but God will.
He blinded Paul. He sent Joseph to prison. He had Job sitting around with boils scrapping himself with broken pottery. In our relationships commit people to God. That doesn’t mean give up on them, but it requires at times a change in how we deal with people.
I’ve had friends that have not listened over the years. Been so hardhearted that trying to say something to them would be counter productive so I’ve had to change how I reach out. I would send tapes or buy books and let those do the talking and reach out and hang out and work on the relationship in other ways.
Don’t Covet Work
Acts 20:33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing.
Acts 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions.
In Paul’s relationships he worked hard so that he could be a blessing to people. He didn’t borrow from anyone. He worked so he could take care of not only his needs but also the needs of those around him. We have some singles that are always in a position where they are borrowing from people. Mooching off others, never giving, always taking. Relationships like this are a burden. We must all grow in our responsibility.
I’m not saying that there are not times that we don’t need help but if it’s a pattern. If you’re known for always needing stuff then there’s a problem. Paul supplied his own needs and delighted in taking care of those that were around him that needed his help.
1 Sam 12:3 Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the LORD and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these, I will make it right."
1 Sam 12:4 "You have not cheated or oppressed us," they replied. "You have not taken anything from anyone’s hand."
Prayer
Acts 20:36 When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.
Do you pray with one another? In Paul’s relationships he prayed with one another. He humbled himself with others before the God of heaven. Prayer should be apart of our relationships.
Emotional Connection
Acts 20:37 They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him.
Acts 20:38 What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
Tears, embracing, kisses and grieving. Look at how emotionally connected Paul was with his relationships. He wasn’t stoic. He wasn’t aloof. He wasn’t cold and indifferent. He wasn’t apathetic. Paul loved these people. He loved them and they loved him. This is what should be characteristic of the singles ministry. People that are giving like this. You know that you are giving your all. Even when others are not giving back to you at all. You give because Jesus gave to you. You love because Christ first loved you.
Love
How are you doing with loving your brother and sister? Some of us have been holding back. We don’t give. We don’t disciple. We don’t care deeply for one another.
2 Cor 6:11 We have spoken freely to you, Corinthians, and opened wide our hearts to you. 2 Cor 6:12 We are not withholding our affection from you, but you are withholding yours from us. 2 Cor 6:13 As a fair exchange--I speak as to my children--open wide your hearts also.
Speaking freely, open hearts, this is what characterizes growing, godly, close relationships. Speaking free means you are not worried about whether this person wants to be discipled. Some have a barrier that says don’t disciple me. I don’t want to hear the truth. I will have a problem with you if you get in there and speak the truth to me. We don’t feel the freedom to say what we need to say because of the other person’s possible response. How sad? We are the ones that are missing out. We are missing out on being like Christ.
Recently a brother sat me down and shared some weaknesses with me. He was cautious, not knowing me very well and said Bro I don’t want to discourage you but I need to share something with you. I told him bro I want to grow. Relax and share with me what I need to hear. I tried to create an atomosphere where he could speak freely.
Do people feel like they can speak freely to you or are they worried how you will take it? We need to be so approachable, have such a desire to grow that we are known for taking discipling well. Now what makes it difficult at times is how people come to us. They don’t come in love and with the spirit of Christ and that makes it difficult. Let’s be gracious in discipling but also make it easy for people to disciple us.
CHANGE COURSE
The writer Frank Kock gives an excellent example in a story from the magazine of the U.S. Naval Institute:
Two battleships assigned to the training squadron had been at sea on maneuvers in heavy weather for several days. I was serving on the lead battleship and was on watch on the bridge as night fell. The visibility was poor with patchy fog, so the captain remained on the bridge keeping an eye on all activities.
Shortly after dark, the lookout on the wing of the bridge reported, “light, bearing on the starboard bow.
Is it steady or moving astern? The captain called out.
The lookout replied, “Steady, captain,” which meant we were on a dangerous collision course with that ship.
The captain then called to the signalman, “Signal that ship: We are on a collision course. Advise you change course 20 degrees.
Back came a signal, “Advisable for you to change course 20 degrees.
The captain said, “Send: I’m a captain, change course 20 degrees.
I’m a seaman second class, came the reply, “You had better change course 20 degrees.
By that time the captain was furious. He spat out, “Send: I’m a battleship. Change course 20 degrees.”
Back came the flashing message: “I’m a lighthouse.” Your call.
We changed course.
As we move into 2007 if you’ve been holding back you need to change course. No holding back! Preach the word, proclaim the truth. Warn, commit people to God, don’t covet work, pray, emotionally connect with others and love one another in the way God wants you to.
