The chorus of that song goes like this, “I shall not be, I shall not be moved; I shall not be, I shall not be moved: just like a tree that’s planted by the waters, Lord, I shall not be moved.”
But the problem with many of the saints of God singing that song is that they are not like a tree planted by the waters, and the devil moves them around like checkers on a checkerboard. They are one thing today, and tomorrow they are something entirely different.
Illus: When you see these folks coming, you do not know whether to “duck” or “pucker”. You never know what kind of a mood they are in.
The apostle Paul was a great Christian, and the reason he was such a wonderful Christian was because he was motivated by what are known as CORE VALUES!
Illus: When a person is motivated by core values, those core values motivate them to live a certain lifestyle every day. They are not living a certain way one day and the next day a different way. These core values that are instilled in their life dictate how they live their life each day.
Let's look at this passage and get a glimpse of Paul's life.
I. HIS SINCERE SERVICE
HOW WE SERVE THE LORD IS IMPORTANT! As we read about Paul in the New Testament, it is obvious that this man SERVED THE LORD BECAUSE HE LOVED THE LORD.
As you look at the lives of many who profess to be saved, it is obvious that to them, the Christian life is a duty (job). JUST A JOB!
As you look at the work force in this nation, have you noticed that you have GOOD EMPLOYEES and BAD EMPLOYEES?
• The GOOD EMPLOYEES love their jobs and they do the very best they are capable of doing.
• The BAD EMPLOYEES view their jobs as just jobs, and they are going through the motions of being an employee, but it is all SHOW! They do not care a thing about their jobs.
HOW WE SERVE MAKES A DIFFERENCE!
Illus: Recently a pastor walked into a fast food restaurant and one of the workers behind the counter acted like she resented him coming in and disturbing her rest.
She gave him his order with a frown on her face, and took his money that was providing her with a job, and she never once said, “Thank you.”
It was obvious that she was not thankful for her job, she took no pride in her job whatsoever!
She came from behind the counter with a hamburger and a large soft drink on a tray for herself, but when she got close to the pastor she had just served, her large drink fell off the tray and smashed onto the floor.
She let out a few words of disgust, and just left the drink on the floor for the customers to walk around.
The fact is, this fast food restaurant will soon be out of business if they do not correct the problem of how their employees serve their customers.
HOW WE SERVE IS IMPORTANT! And today, the work of God is suffering greatly because of the way that some Christians serve the Lord.
We need more Christians like the apostle Paul. Looked how he served the Lord.
A. HE SERVED WITH HUMILITY
Look at Acts 20:19, “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind....” Notice, the mindset of the apostle Paul was one of HUMILITY.
If anyone had a right to be proud, the apostle Paul did.
• HE WAS WELL EDUCATED - Look at Acts 22: 3, “I am verily a man which am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” This would be equivalent to have a degree from Harvard.
• PAUL WAS A MEMBER OF THE SANHEDRIN - This would be equivalent to being a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
But yet the Bible said he served the Lord with “…humility of mind.”
Illus: John Ruskin once said, "I believe the first test of a truly great man is his humility."
Yet throughout history there have been those who regarded themselves as superior to others.
Illus: The worst example is in Nazi Germany, where Hitler taught his people that they were a superior race.
• When we walk in the mindset of PRIDE, we are more like Satan than at any other time. Remember, he was so proud that it led to him being thrust out of heaven.
• When we walk in the mindset of HUMILITY, we are more like Christ than at any other time.
We live in a very PROUD SOCIETY. In fact, they are so proud:
• THEY BUY HOUSES THEY CAN’T AFFORD
• THEY BUY CARS THEY CAN’T AFFORD
• THEY OWE EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY
We have to ask ourselves this question, “WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS?” They are doing it for one reason; they are too proud to live a humble life:
• They want to be better than other people
• They at least want to be average, whether they can afford it or not!
The Bible does not teach us that we should not think HIGHLY OF OURSELVES, but it does teach us in Romans 12:3, that we should not think MORE HIGHLY OF OURSELVES THAN WE OUGHT TO THINK.
Paul knew how to serve the Lord with that PERFECT BALANCE. For example, Paul served the Lord with such humility that he was willing to admit that there were times when he was WRONG! This is something a proud person would never do.
But the apostle Paul walked among Believers in humility, and was willing to admit when he was wrong. For example, Paul was wrong when as a sincere Jewish believer, he persecuted the Christian Church.
Look at Acts 9:1-2, “And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.”
When Stephen was stoned to death, Paul was not standing idly by on the sidelines. Saul (Paul), was in agreement with the act. Paul was SINCERE, but he was sincerely wrong.
Look at Acts 8:1-3, “And SAUL WAS CONSENTING UNTO HIS DEATH. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.”
As a Jew, he once made havoc of the church. But now as a Christian, he is willing to admit he was wrong. Look at Philip. 3:6, where he described himself as a “Persecutor.” He said, “Concerning zeal, persecuting the church;...”
He was SINCERE but he was SINCERELY WRONG!
What a wonderful characteristic, when you can find among God’s people those who will humble themselves and admit they are wrong.
Illus: Can you imagine:
• How many of the problems would be solved in OUR SCHOOLS, if children were willing to admit they were wrong, and do something about those wrongs
• How many of the problems would be solved in OUR HOMES, if the family members were willing to admit they were wrong, and do something about those wrongs
• How many of the problems would be solved in OUR CHURCHES, if Christians were willing to admit they were wrong, and do something about those wrongs
What a wonderful world this would be if people could walk in HUMILITY instead of PRIDE.
A proud person would never admit they are wrong! But look how else Paul served the Lord -
B. HE SERVED WITH MANY TEARS
Acts 20:19, “Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and WITH MANY TEARS,....”
Paul served the Lord with many tears. WHEN DOES A PERSON SHED TEARS? There are tears of joy, but most of the time it is when SOMETHING or SOMEONE hurts them.
One of the reasons we see so few tears in the church today, is because Christians live their Christian lives so selfishly that they do not care about anyone but themselves. The only tears they will shed will be when they can’t have their selfish way.
When people are PROUD, then all they can think about is themselves. But when people live a life of HUMILITY, they can have compassion for others.
The Bible says that Paul served the Lord, “…With many tears.”
• When was the last time you wept real tears before the Lord for your lost LOVED ONES?
• When was the last time you wept real tears before the Lord for YOUR ENEMIES?
• When was the last time you wept real tears before the Lord for YOUR FRIENDS?
No wonder he was like a tree planted by the waters that could not be moved. He served the Lord with HUMILITY and with many TEARS!
We looked at HIS SINCERE SERVICE, but now look at -
II. HIS SOUND SPEECH
It is important how WE WALK IT, but it is equally important how WE TALK IT! As HE WALKED IT, notice also how HE TALKED IT.
A. HIS TEACHING WAS PROFITABLE
Acts 20:20, “...I KEPT BACK NOTHING THAT WAS PROFITABLE UNTO YOU...”
Notice, because he loved them so much, he said “…I kept back nothing…”
• Too many preachers claim to love the people of God, but they “hold back” for fear of the congregation’s response
• They “hold back” in their preaching because the people want it that way
If they loved people the way they should love them, they would tell them what they NEED TO HEAR, not what they WANT TO HEAR!
WHY DID PAUL NOT HOLD BACK? He did not “hold back”, because it was PROFITABLE for them to hear the truth.
It does not help a person to hold back the truth. For example:
• A good counselor knows that in counseling people, they must point out their mistakes. If all the counselor cares about is the money they receive from the counseling, they will tell them what they want to hear.
• Good parents know that in order to help their child, they must confront them with the truth.
Illus: We have too many parents with children who tear the school apart, and the parents will not raise their voice and tell them they are wrong. Instead, they will go down to the school and stand with their child, knowing their child is in the wrong, and try to blame everyone but their child.
These parents do not love their children. If they did, they would speak what is PROFITABLE to them.
Paul said, Acts 20:27, “For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.” When he spoke, HIS TEACHING WAS PROFITABLE. But also-
B. HIS TEACHING WAS PUBLIC
Acts 20:20, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but HAVE SHOWED YOU, AND HAVE TAUGHT YOU PUBLICLY...”
Paul’s ministry was not a secretive one. If some of the churches today on television are preaching the Word of God, they must be doing it in secret because we sure can’t see or hear of it openly.
Listen, public sins should be dealt with in a public forum. Paul said, I showed you “Publicly.”
C. HIS TEACHING WAS PRIVATE
Acts 20:20, “And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, AND FROM HOUSE TO HOUSE,”
Paul taught the crowds, but he also was a ONE-ON-ONE teacher as well.
• Some preachers today are just interested in the crowds, they are not the least bit concerned for the individual.
• Paul ministered to the crowds, and also he ministered to the individual (from house to house).
When we serve the Lord, sometimes the best way to deal with something is PRIVATELY. Paul’s teaching was PROFITABLE, PUBLIC, PRIVATE and also-
D. HIS TEACHING WAS WITHOUT PREJUDICE
Acts 20:21, “Testifying both TO THE JEWS, and also TO THE GREEKS,...”
He didn’t care ...
• WHAT COLOR SKIN A PERSON HAD
• WHAT NATIONALITY THEY WERE
• WHAT PART OF THE COUNTRY THEY LIVED IN
• WHAT LANGUAGE THEY SPOKE
• WHAT THEIR FINANCIAL STATUS WAS
• WHAT THEIR SOCIAL STATUS WAS
He cared about preaching the word of God to all people WITHOUT PREJUDICE! Oh that we could take a lesson from the life of the Apostle Paul in this area today!
His teaching was PROFITABLE, PUBLIC, PRIVATE and without PREJUDICE. But also-
E. HIS TEACHING WAS PURE
Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, and FAITH TOWARD OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.”
Notice, Paul’s preaching was PURE! He preached REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD to them. REPENT is a word we do not often hear from the pulpits today. WHY? Because many pastors know they are preaching to a PROUD, REBELLIOUS PEOPLE, and the last thing they want to be told is that they are SINFUL and NEED TO REPENT!
This is the age of “EASY BELIEVE-ISM”. That is, there is no need to repent, just “believe” (something) and you are OK for eternity!
Paul was not going to allow the pressures of time to persuade him. He told them they needed to QUIT THEIR SINNING and show some REMORSE for the evil they had committed. Paul preached REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD, and so must we!
We looked at HIS SINCERE SERVICE, and HIS SOUND SPEECH, now let us look at -
III. HIS STRONG STAND
God’s church needs Christians that will:
• SERVE HIM IN HUMILITY AND TEARS
• SPEAK WORDS OF TRUTH
But one of the great needs of the church today is to find men and women like Paul, who can STAND FOR WHAT IS RIGHT.
He was under all kinds of pressures. Look at Acts 20:22-23, “And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, NOT KNOWING THE THINGS THAT SHALL BEFALL ME THERE: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that BONDS AND AFFLICTIONS ABIDE ME.”
Paul said he was going to Jerusalem, “not knowing the things that shall befall me there.” Notice, he did not say he was going to Jerusalem and some problems might occur. He knew they would occur, but he said he did not know “…the things that shall befall me there.”
Illus: It is said that today, before the modern preacher goes to a town, he telephones ahead to find out if the Holiday Inn is available. When Paul went to a town, he knew he probably was going to end up in the slammer!
He did not know what kind of problems he would be facing once he arrived, but he went regardless of the:
• TEMPTATION
• PEER PRESSURE
He said, “None of these things move me!” Nothing could shake Paul off his course in following the Holy Spirit. Paul was standing on the Solid Rock, and would not be moved. That Rock is Jesus!
Look at-
A. HIS SELFLESSNESS
Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, NEITHER COUNT I MY LIFE DEAR UNTO MYSELF....”
If following the leading of the Lord meant that Paul would lose his life, Paul was willing to make that sacrifice!
C. HIS STRIVING
Acts 20:24, “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so THAT I MIGHT FINISH MY COURSE WITH JOY, AND THE MINISTRY, WHICH I HAVE RECEIVED OF THE LORD JESUS, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
Conclusion:
Oh that we would strive to finish our course and complete whatever ministry the Lord has given us. Then we could have the confidence that Paul had. Look what he said about his ministry.
Acts 20:26-27, “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I AM PURE FROM THE BLOOD OF ALL MEN. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.”
There would be no blood on the hands of Paul, he had finished his ministry, he had purposed NOT TO BE MOVED. Paul said he finish the job the Lord gave him because he refused to allow the devil to MOVE HIM OFF COURSE.
Every time some of you set out to do the will of God, the devil throws something in your path, and moves you out of the will of God.
Paul said, in 2 Tim. 4: 7-8, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
Because Paul stayed on course, he said, “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness…” But notice, here is the good news. He said, “…and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
I. HIS SINCERE SERVICE
II. HIS SOUND SPEECH
III. HIS STRONG STAND
