Looking Up When Life's Got You Down (Part 8)

A few years ago. If you had a 10-year-old computer.

It was considered to be a dinosaur. Now if you have a one-year-old computer is considered to be a dinosaur. Now if you are like me and you are overwhelmed with the amount of knowledge and information that has been disseminated.

Listen to this, the more we know, the more we forget, and the more we forget, the less we know and the less we know, the less we forget, and the less we forget, the more we know those of you figured it out till those who didn't and then tell me, but with all the increase in knowledge. Truth never changes. With all of the increase of information and knowledge. The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ remain constant with all the increase in knowledge the truth of the gospel can never be modified, it can never be added to with all of the increase in knowledge. We are like little children playing in the sands of God's cosmic beach and that is why yesterday's warning from the Scripture is as every bit as relevant today as the day those warnings were uttered in fact in acts chapter 20. If you haven't turned to it.

I wanted to turn to it now. The apostle Paul gives some real solemn warnings and these warnings are relevant to every Christian to every believer. They are relevant to parents and prospective parents, hope springs eternal. They are relevant to teachers. They are relevant to preachers that are relevant to everyone who's involved in any ministry of any kind. They are relevant in business. They are indeed relevant to every one of us today but before I get to the details of Paul's warnings on account of Paul's for station identification in acts chapter 19. There was a huge dryer in the city of Ephesus, and this riot was instigated by a businessman by the name of Demetrius and his business was a silversmith he was making trinkets for the goddess Artemis in the beginning of chapter 20 Paul leaves Ephesus and there he goes to Macedonia then to Corinth of Greece back to Macedonia vintage OS and when he gets to cross he meets with the believers on Sunday to celebrate the Lord's supper and then nighttime came, he began to preach he preached for five hours. Now I know what some of your thinking Michael is going to try this. In fact, Paul's five sermon of this poor boy who is between seven and 14 this with the Greek word means is a young boy between seven and 14 those off to sleep for cabin.

His name was Utica's and he was sitting on the windowsill on the third floor and he fell and he died in through the power of the Holy Spirit. The apostle Paul comes in raising from the dead and believe me when I tell you that while I tenaciously hold onto the truth of the gospel as preached by the apostles, never try the methodology. In other words, relax.

I will not preach for five hours. Some of you might think that it feels like five hours. That's because of your attention span has nothing to do with my length of time for those of you who really refer sermon notes I want to tell your encouraging story. There was a young Yale student, he invited his roommate to go home with him for the holiday and this young man's father was a pastor of a small town in the country. So when he brought his roommate to the house and the father found out that his sons roommate was planning to go into the ministry invited him to preach a sermon that Sunday. Big mistake in the young man put some notes together and he got up and started preaching in his points were the letters in the word Yale where he came from his school.

This is why it is for you and he went on preaching for half an hour on renewing your youth when you're walking with Christ and then he says is from admissions and don't preach another half an hour on ambitions and then by that time. Of course the rest of the blue congregation Vegas goes off and went to sleep. They can get to the L in these well he did, but they didn't. But finally the pastor got up, woke them up and he said the I think we all are thankful to the Lord that this young man does not attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. John Calvin, after writing 600 pages in his institutes of Christian religion book.

He said I am naturally fond of brevity.

Now the problem of course is bags, then people were trained to listen for hours on end. I can tell you truly, when I was a young boy eight non-intent.

I used to love going to preachers conventions where they gather from all over the country and then no preach 5678 preachers one after the other. I used to love that stuff. I'm about you but I don't think I could do it now but you know how strange preaching has become this culture into the society is a strange thing. In fact I write about the little girl who had never been to church been on the drive millions of young people in this country have never been inside church Christmas with no Christmas Easter no Easter millions of children never been inside a church in this young girl has never been inside the church, but he was she would to visit her grandparents are grandparents took at the church and that when they went home like a natural question, how do you like church she civil I like the music but the commercial was too long. Well, in reality, the five sermon that Paul Creech was not a monologue as much of it was a dialogue. The Greek word is very clear and that there was a time for questions and answers and give-and-take as he spoke of course still doing after he raise the boy from the dead.

Obviously what happened at the time as the Bible tells us that the fumes from the lamps and the stuffiness of the atmosphere in the room caused Utica's to fall off and die, but interrupting his sermon long enough.

Paul goes down raises the boy from the dead, then goes back to speak till dawn as Oracle preach a phone people and show us were obviously like a sponge. They were soaking up the truth as they were coming out of the mouth of the apostle Paul. The next day, Paul leaves Troy asked and he goes to Miletus and Melinda's. He realized if he goes back to Ephesus is going to take time not on the time but they're probably going to ask him to stay.

So what he does and leaders.

He sent a messenger to Ephesus and asked the messenger to bring the leaders of the church from Ephesus and come and meet him in the liters now Miletus is about 20 miles as the crow flies, but without winding roads and everything else it would take about three days from the time the messenger left went to Ephesus brought the leaders and come back and fair. The apostle Paul gives them that warning that I want to talk to about. In fact, there are three things that Paul's exhortation are absolutely relevant to every person listening to me right now.

First his life as a role model in verses 18 to 21. Secondly, his obedience to the Lord was unconditional. In verses 22 and 227 and thirdly his warning was for vigilance. Verses 28 to 35 honest look at the first thing that Paul talks about here when his warning. These church leaders that his wife is a role model.

Look at the verses 18 to 21 of acts 20 listen to me very carefully. I wanted to listen intently particular parents. There is no more powerful of an impact that you can make than personal example.

Whether you are 10 years old or 100 years old. It makes no difference, parents can instruct their children all day long. Preachers can preach great sermons. Teachers can teach brilliantly business leader can have all the skills but the life of example is far more impacting than all of that put together, we can tell our children what they should and should not do and we should, we can tell our children what is good and what is bad, but your life. Mom your life. Dad your life. Parents would impact your children far far far far more than the words you speak we can proclaim the truth publicly or privately we can witness and we can testify and we can speak on behalf of the gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ. But what would impact people's lives in a greater way is your conduct Christian if a Christian is lying and cheating and getting drunk just like everybody else. You will have no impact upon your surroundings. People in general are looking for is this please listen carefully. Are you living your lessons what children and people in general are watching very carefully for our use the same person in public as you are in private. What children and people in general are scrutinizing is whether your walk matches your talk. And Paul said in acts 20 verse 18. He said you know underline the word no you know is a very important word how I live the whole time I was with you from the first day I came into the province of Asia you know that's powerful that's important. That's very significant. You know I'm not telling you something you did not know but you know what is Paul saying is saying you have heard my words but you also examined my life, he is saying you listen to my teaching, but you also watch my decisions or my action.

You heard me talk, but you also saw me walk you brought down the instructions that I've given you, that you also have scrutinize my behavior and you saw how the to match how the two together and you yourself can testify to that.

And you can testify to the fact that there is no discrepancy between what I say in the way I live, you observed that Walker saw is what you brought that you may not like it either, but that's how it is, they were consistent. Acts 2020. Paul said I serve the Lord with great humility and with tears. You know what I am grateful that the apostle Paul mentioned tears here because it really used to bother me that I often get moved to tears when I'm preaching about salvation, longing to see men and women saved from eternal damnation into heaven. How I moved to tears when I think of the grace of God that is given to me, unworthy as I am, at least now I feel that if Paul was not ashamed of his tears. I should neither is he Paul was a role model not just in his words, but in his life.

Secondly, Paul's obedience to the Lord was unconditional. Look at verses 22 to 27 of acts 20. Obviously, the apostle Paul and this is not for everybody but the apostle Paul with his apostolic authority is apostolic power.

He was able to look up through his prophetic eyes and he saw that he is going to face in Jerusalem and more opposition and more persecution what he was facing in Jerusalem. What is awaiting him in Jerusalem was more greetings and more unrest and we will see that in fact happened exactly as he predicted what was facing him in Jerusalem was more false accusations and discouragement what was going to be even beyond Jerusalem. If his dream of going to role is being fulfilled that when he gets to Rome.

He's going to meet his death. Whether the apostle Paul was able to see through the prophetic eyes that one guy is coming when he was going to write his gray head on the chopping block and then gets chopped and rolled down the Appian Way we don't know but obviously that's what happened but you know what, listen carefully, none of that really matter to the apostle Paul. None of that matter. These sorts of prophetic I wouldn't see in the next message that's another profit actually witness to that and affirm that this is gonna happen, but that didn't matter once he knew that God was calling them to go. That's the end of the matter. What a far cry. This is for modern-day Christianity. What a far cry where people say I am willing to follow Jesus. If he makes me healthy and wealthy.

I am willing to become a church member only if I get all the perks of being associated with the church. All I am willing to serve, but only if I can implement my agenda while I am willing to get involved, but only if it is convenient if is not going to conflict with my sports activities is not going to conflict with my social activities is not a conflict with my lifestyle. All this in my beloved friends listen to what Paul said in verse 24. I want to weep literally of acts 20.

He said I consider my life worth nothing to me. If only time I finished the race, and complete the task, the Lord Jesus Christ has given me the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

What does that mean is what Paul is saying compares the task of making Jesus known my wants mean nothing. My desires unknot at the forefront. My comfort is not my priority. My personal goals are not the issue. My likes and dislikes are incidental. Why why Paul why is all this we live in such a society, and the life of conflict and pampering and we get our wants and needs and everything else on top of it while I Paul he says because my life is not my old because my life does not belong to me. My life belongs to him. I wonder how many of us can truly say this today. It's a fact. It is true whether you acknowledge it or not. Your life is not your own. If you belong to Christ. But how often do we really think about that believe that practice that walked by that is life as a role model is obedience to the Lord was unconditional. Thirdly, is warning was for vigilance.

Look at verses 28 and following you. Every time I deal with the issue of vigilance. I can't help but think what a rare commodity. It is the day. Vigilance is such a rare commodity church Sunday.

If it doesn't rain on our prayer meeting, or if I need the church to pray for me.

Yes, well, if it's convenient and beneficial. I will have a real life of prayer only from desperate. That's not vigilance. Beloved friends.

That is not vigilance. Being vigilant is always double edge sword.

It's always double-edged. Paul tells us here. He says on the one hand you guard against the attack of the enemy in your own life. On the other hand, you warn others against the attack of the enemy. On the one hand, you do not neglect your personal prayer life annual study of the word in your walk with God on the other hand, you warn others of the danger of neglecting their prayer life in the study of the word. Bottom line, don't commit the sin that you want others not to commit is a faucet first. Keep watch on yourself, and only then you can truly minister your family and minister to others so you cannot adequately care for others. If you neglect the cultivation of view: soul actually saying to these leaders is one thing that I often say to young parents when they come and meet with me with their baby often hold the baby and I say this baby is not yours. This is the Lord's baby and he has given you. This baby to manage for him.

You know, reality is nothing that really we have hours of the possessions that the children of the jobs we have another company's will. Nothing is really a horse is God's. I member the story when John Wesley, his house burned down and somebody came running to him. This is Mr. Wesley Mr. Westwick, your house was burned to the ground. He said good that's God's house number one and number two is less for me to worry about. And Paul is saying to the Ephesians here. His saying that you must understand that the church is not yours. It's wrong for Jesus Christ it's Jesus's church, not ours. God has called us in leadership to manage it for him and throughout history.

You see people coming generation after generation who met a bunch of it made a mess of managing the church, what is God doing just exit out of her hand and gives it to another group against another group and then they messed up they gives it to another group. Why is Paul warning the church leaders to watch out and be vigilant, both for themselves and for others is what he said. He said there are whoops everywhere are ready to come and devour the sheep. Where do you think the whoops were that Paul is talking about to become what whether in the church and the church there hiding and waiting there ready to mislead God's people to listen carefully beloved friends. There are wounds in your children's schools. There are wolves in the churches there are, whoops, and your children clubs.

There are wounds in the vile music awards in the file books that are whoops in the vile movies and you are to be vigilant for you himself first and then for them in ancient near East. Whoops, where the chief enemies of the sheep number one and they were constant threat. In fact sheep were defenseless against wolves and that is why shepherds could not afford to take their eyes off the sheep, not even for one minute and you know we used to say about false preachers and false teachers in the church. We used to say there are wolves in sheep's clothing, but never had that a dear friend of mine from Sydney Australia is of Michael you living in the past he should now the rubes have taken the sheep's clothing off and they could not care less. They have become so brazen that they took the sheep's clothing off. There are some people who would say, in fact, they cringe when they hear falsehood being exposed and refuted under say that is a negative approach.

Don't expose false teaching nonexposed false teachers don't expose false churches don't expose them just preach the truth. Paul did both and you and I must do both. Not one or the other is what he said. He said he preached to them the whole counsel of God. That's everything in the Scripture that they need to know he did it publicly, an exhibit from house to house, but here is warning them about the whoops that are ready to come and undermine the truth beloved friends listen. It is not negative to say this is right and this is wrong.

It is not negative to say this is the truth.

This is falsehood, it is not negative to say this is biblical but this is not biblical but I wanted to listen to something else. I'm going to tell you the interview would testify to what I'm saying that vigilance is constantly vigilance is troublesome.

Vigilance is hard.

Vigilance is exhausting. Vigilance will not win you a popularity award vigilance will bring false accusations. Vigilance will cause misunderstandings, vigilance will isolate you and alienate you but it's your call information might increase with such overwhelming volume but the gospel of Jesus Christ never changes and that is why the Bible speaks again and again and again and again and again about the importance of holding on the importance of being vigilant. The importance of being on the alert importance of receiving a crown when you do that it's clearly throughout the Scripture, an unknown writer reflected upon the change was truth of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ penned the following words. Listen carefully in Paris rise and fall and are forgotten, but their stance's forms of hate swell about it, but their stance higher criticism deny its claim to inspiration. There it stands in for those predicted its abandonment there. It's modernism tries to explain it away, but their experience liberals in the past I tried to reinterpreted their extent scholars and theologians try to run the mind itself out of the stained faceless ministers tried to water it down there and stand professors and philosophers try to doubt its power then extends the spots and dictators tried to blow it to smithereens its pain mongers and jeerers tried to ridicule it. There it stands, thanks for listening to this message from Dr. Michael. You sat recently featured on leading the way. If you'd like to know more about us, please visit LTW.org that LTW.Ward