Introduction
1. I shared this story before...but let me share it again to illustrate my sermon for this evening...
In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10.
According to Leon Jaroff in Time,...
the satellite’s primary mission was to reach Jupiter,...
photograph the planet and its moons, ...
and beam data to earth about Jupiter’s magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere.
Scientists regarded this as a bold plan,...
because at that time, no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars,
they were afraid that the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target.
But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more.
Swinging past Jupiter in November 1973, Jupiter’s immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system.
At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn.
At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus;
Neptune at nearly three billion miles;
Pluto at almost four billion miles.
By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, ...
Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun.
And despite that incredible distance,...
Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth.
"Perhaps most remarkable," writes Jaroff, "those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter,...
which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light,...
and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth...
Pioneer 10 was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just 21 months...
But it kept going and going for more than 30 years...
Dr. Colleen Hartman from NASA said, “Pioneer 10 was a pioneer in the true sense of the word. After it passed Mars on its long journey into deep space, it was venturing into places where nothing built by humanity had ever gone before, it ranks among the most historic as well as the most scientifically rich exploration missions ever undertaken"1
2. As we continue to learn our Biblical ABCs...
We come to the letter S...
S is for Serve, serving, & Service...
But I also plan to bring in some other “S’s” to help us out tonight...
S is also for Suffering...
S is for the Spirit...
and S is for Steadfast...
3. In our text, we see that Paul serves as an excellent example of how to serve the Lord in the midst of suffering...
Read Text: Acts 20:19-24
1. First of all, I want you to see that Paul was Steadfast in Service vv. 19-21
A. Paul says, “I served the Lord”...
And, he’s not bragging about it either...
He served the Lord with great humility...
and with brokenness...
Paul was very heartfelt in his service...
so much so that tears would easily come to his eyes...
as he saw the spiritual need around him...
as he saw the stubbornness of those who refused to repent...
it broke his heart...
he served with tenderness and compassion...
he didn’t allow that “holier than thou” attitude creep into his voice as he witnessed to people...
he knew that Jesus was the answer for them...
and he shared what he knew without apology...
and with all compassion and concern...
B. and he didn’t give up...
he was steadfast...
he persisted...
The word that Paul uses to describe serving the Lord...
is a form of the word that is used to describe a slave...
in fact, Paul often referred to himself as a slave unto the Lord...
But, he wasn’t just a servant to the Lord...
he was a servant to all people...
he didn’t just go to the Jews...
he preached to Romans, Gentiles,...
He preached to anyone anywhere that needed the Lord...
it didn’t matter if they were rich or poor...
He would present Jesus Christ to any and all...
C. Paul serves as an example for Christians today...
may we be steadfast in our service to the Lord...
may we serve the Lord out of a heart burdened for a lost and dying world...
and may we serve others without regard to who they are...
2. Secondly, I want you to see that Paul was Steadfast in the Face of Suffering vv. 22-23
A. Paul was basically stepping into the Lion’s den...
Some people in authority were not all that excited about what Paul was preaching...
Paul had seen his share of suffering for his faith...
but he continued on...
In our text, he says that he didn’t know what would happen to him in Jerusalem...
He even tells us that the Holy Spirit tells him that he will face trials and troubles...
He will face imprisonment and punishment...
Most people, if the Holy Spirit were to tell them that they would face those kinds of things in their service to the Lord...
I think they would say...
“Hold on...wait a minute...I didn’t sign up for that...
I didn’t know there was suffering or prison involved...
I’m outta here”...
But that’s not what Paul said...
Compelled by the Holy Spirit...
Paul continues to serve the Lord...
and his fellow man...
even in the midst of suffering and hardship.
B. Again, Paul serves as an example for us...
I trust that we too will be faithful to continue to the serve the Lord...
even in the midst of hardship and trouble...
perhaps we don’t face prison for being faithful to speak about Jesus Christ...
but we all face struggles in life...
we all face health problems...
or family difficulties...
or the death of a loved one...
or financial troubles...
or you name it...
I trust that... no matter what may come...
that we would continue to be Steadfast...
eve in the midst of heartache...
C. We’ve said it before...and let’s say it again...
when a Christians stands firm and serves Jesus Christ...
even in the midst of great sorrow...
that really becomes a testimony to others...
people will look at our positive attitude in the midst of the difficulties of life...
and they will wonder how on earth we can face the kinds of trouble that we do...
and still be positive and optimistic in life...
and that gives us the wonderful opportunity to share with them about our faith in Jesus Christ!...
Because it is only through the power of Christ...
that we are able to remain steadfast through the difficulties in life...
3. And finally, Paul was Steadfast in the Spirit v. 24
A. And in mean that in 2 ways...
First of all, he was steadfast in HIS spirit...
He was very determined to live for the Lord...
He was strongly committed...
He said, “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.”
His number 1 goal in life was to be faithful to God...
and to finish the race set before him...
Secondly, he was steadfast in the HOLY Spirit...
In these few verses...Paul makes it clear that he has a close relationship with the Holy Spirit...
Obviously Paul was on the same QUEST that we are on...
the quest to know the Spirit of Christ...
We see that Paul was steadfast in his relationship with the Holy Spirit of Christ.
B. And once again, Paul serves as an example for Christians everywhere...
First of all, we too need to be determined in our spirit...
We need to be strongly committed to following Christ through out our lives...
we don’t want to give up before we reach the finish line...
we don’t want to allow the struggles of life to wash over us...
and allow those struggles to be the thing that turns us away from serving the Lord...
And the same task that Paul mentions that Jesus had given him...
is the same task that Jesus has given us...
And that is to “ testify to the gospel of God’s grace”....
Gospel just means good news...
So, we are just to share the good news about God’s grace...
God’s grace reaches us...as unworthy as we are...
and allows us to become clean and pure...
and enables us to one day make heaven our home...
And, like Paul, we need to be steadfast in the HOLY Spirit...
We need to continue on our quest to draw closer to Him...
We need to allow HIS power to course through our veins...
like we talked last Sunday...
we need to allow HIS power to work through us...
so that we are able to share the good news about God’s grace to others...
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so that we can remain steadfast in the face of suffering...
We need to allow the Holy Spirit to work through us so that we can remain steadfast in our service to the Lord and to others...
It is only by the power of the Spirit...
working in the life of the Christian...
that we are able to accomplish ANYTHING in His Name...
It is only by the power of the Spirit...
working in the life of our Church...
that we as a CHURCH are able to accomplish anything in His Name...
So, let us remain steadfast in our spirit...
and Steadfast in THE Spirit...the Holy Spirit...
Conclusion
1. Pioneer 10 continued to serve mankind...
with only an 8 watt transmitter...
it continued to serve even though it far outlived its predicted life cycle...
when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord....
God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities...
God can work through those who are steadfast...
God can work through those who are willing to serve mankind...
without regard to age or ability...
but just using whatever we have to serve the Lord...
The only one God cannot work though...
God cannot work through someone who quits.
2. S is for serve...
Let Paul serve as a lesson for us...
I encourage you to be steadfast in your service to the Lord...
and your service to one another...
I encourage you to be steadfast in the face of suffering...
I encouarge you to be steadfast...
by the power of the Holy Spirit.
1 http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2003/03_25HQ.html Craig Brian Larson, Pastoral Grit: the Strength to Stand and to Stay, Bethany.
