Paul’s Tombstone

Today on Summit life with JD Greer what is Jesus called you to do. Not responsible save the world responsible to fulfill the assignments for the assignments that God is given to you success in life is determining what Jesus has called you to do.

Being faithful in it so that when you die, you hear from him. Those words well done good and faithful servant. As always, I'm your host Molly that events okay this might seem like a rather morbid way to start the week that have you ever cared what you would like to have written on your tombstone when you die will is not something that we like to think about very often or in fact ever. But today Pastor JD teaches from the book of acts chapter 20 and he asks us to reflect on the summation of our lives. What will people say about us when were gone, what will our legacy be this message as part of the teaching series called St. if you missed any of the previous messages in this study can catch up online. JD Greer.com Pastor JD titled this message calls to step life Bible study for guys. One of things I would have them and do what I let it is I would have them at one point right draw tombstone and write out an epitaph that they want to go on the will always give them some examples of actual last words and epitaphs written on tombstone, some of which are profound and some that are ridiculous. For example Leonardo da Vinci's last words on his deathbed were quote I have offended I have offended God in mankind because my work did not reach the quality that it should have talked about a perfectionist right.

Would you ladies like to be married… Elvis Pressley's last words were at a press conference were well I hope I haven't bored you, which summarizes his life, the epitaph on Merv Griffin's tombstone never. I know we have a younger audience member Griffin you guys the epitaph on his tombstone reads I will not be right back after this message, from the tombstone of a dentist dentist. Walter Brown lives here filling his last cavity, so that's for Dennis.

That's for you from an unnamed change of these are actual by the way I see the pictures and there's and I made up front unnamed tombstone found right here in Western North Carolina. How many people we have here there from Western North Carolina. Raise your hand. A special breed of people that direction I can say that to some grub that direction, but here's one in Western Carolina. Quote your last call. Paul liked women more caught Paul, and with two swimming here last fall, so the idea is that you tombstone is supposed to. The idea behind the exercise was that what is written on your tombstone should summarize your life and sometimes it's good to think about your life from that in perspective now and start to live your life now and what you want your tombstone to say in think of it like reverse engineering your life you figure it will be in product is supposed to look like and then back off and say what I live like now so that when I get there it says them what I wanted to say now Psalm 90 verse 12 Moses, the man of God said it this way so teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts learn wisdom, love that verse is one of my life versus Martin Luther translated that verse in German. Basically to say Lord, teach us to think about death, our death so that we might figure out how to live. It is as we think about our lives, from the perspective of death, Moses says that you can figure out what you ought to be doing now. So that's my question for you this weekend. What do you want the summation of your life to be. If we were going to write an epitaph on your tombstone, what would be the most important things that would end up going on there.

Today I'm going to give you the five things that I believe the apostle Paul would have wanted written on his tombstone. Now of course Paul never had a tombstone because we don't even know what happened to his body. Paul was beheaded in Rome by Nero and scholar say his body was discarded and most likely eating by dog so didn't have a tombstone but had Paul had a tombstone. These are what I believe he would have wanted on that tombstone because Paul gives them in a farewell speech that he makes to a group of Ephesian elders in acts 2030 think she's never going to see again. He's going to go to Jerusalem and then from there on to Rome and he's pretty convinced he's gonna die your mother's places so easily summarizes his entire life for them in this once farewell speech immiscible.

My life's about. By the way, this is the only extended speech in the book of acts that is directed toward Christians. Every other speech we see is directed as a sermon on believers so insignificant because I think Luke take this extended speech. This is one picture of how you a believer ought to think about your life.

These are the five things that I want said about my life to this is the outline if you're taking notes for my funeral sermon you called on the preach my funeral sermon. This is what I want said in it at 723 begin number seven verse seven on the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul, talk with them intending to depart on the next day and he prolonged his speech until midnight. There were many lamps in the upper room where we were all gathered in a young man, Dave Utica sitting up a window sank into a deep legals. Paul taught Bill longer and been overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story was taken up dead. This is nothing to do with my message today, but I read it because it is awesome.

This is why you should not sleep in church, by the way you think I preached you long. Sometimes Paul started his sermon in the afternoon and preach past midnight and I die a lot of his seat and died some I like you have five minutes over today and the 11 o'clock service on my did anybody thought of the window would die shut your mouth I talking like firsthand. Paul went down and bent over and taking in his arms, he said don't be alarmed as life is still in him. By the way, this is similar to when Jesus will girl died.

Jesus said she's not that she sleeps this kid is dead where the Greek is written.

He's dead. Paul raises him from the dead and then the best part was 11 when Paul drawn back up the converse with them a little while longer. Paul writes the debt off this kid and keeps preaching until daybreak and so departed not from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and call the elders of the church to come to him and when they came to him have assisted you remember from our priest to ask 19 a few weeks ago. His reports for the last three years, there's what Paul said to them, here's the speech I'm gonna read it in its entirety.

Verse 18. You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time. For the first day that I set foot in Asia serving the Lord with all humility and with tears in the trials that happen to me, to the plots of the Jews. How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable in teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and the Greeks of repentance toward God and have faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, and now behold I'm going to Jerusalem constrained by the spirit not knowing what will happen to me there, except that Holy Spirit testifies to me that in every city, imprisonment, and afflictions await me, but I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

And now, behold, I know that none of you, among whom I've gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face ever again.

Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of you all. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves, and all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God that he purchased with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock from among your own selves will arise man speaking twisted things, to draw away disciples after them, therefore, be alert remembering that for three years.

I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears and now I commend you to God into the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and give you the inheritance among those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one silver or gold or apparel you yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me in all things. I have shown you that are working hard. We must help the week and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive. When he said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all when there was much weeping on the part of all, they embrace Paul there and they kissed him.

The sorrowful most of all because of the word that he had spoken they would never see his face again and they accompanied him to the shepherd he got on selloff and sure enough, never to see them face-to-face again five statements from Paul's farewell speech number one.

I have been faithful to do what Jesus told me to do first thing Paul wanted on his team sent probably the most important thing. Verse 24 my single focus has been and is to do a goddess told me to do.

That's why none of these threats are dangers that I know are ahead of me. Don't move me because my one great ambition in life is to hear from him well done good and faithful servant. See the end of the day that's all any of us are really responsible for so my very simple question is what is Jesus called you to do you not responsible save the world responsible to fulfill the assignments or the assignments that God is given to you is either two ways that I see people really go wrong with this. On the one saying on one side you got some people who thought the responsible save the world. They didn't want to go to fix their friends there. The ones I gotta make sure their kids turn out right. They're the ones who are responsible to take care of the poor to feed all the orphans and so they carry around the weight of these things on their shoulders and no matter what they do, it's never enough. You're always worried about their these things because what if I do something on my kids don't turn out right what what my friends Mr. lives out.

That's one side. On the other side are people who never even stop to think that they have been given responsibilities by God.

Paul would say in this way first review for two.

Moreover, what is required of stewards is that they be found faithful. Paul saw himself as a stewardess to resist the servant service on a charge of the house. The Masters in charge of the house stewardess simply responsible to do with the matter tells them to do the Masters, the one who bears the responsibility of taking care of the house, leaving you like a money manager. When I give my broker when I give him money to invest in a certain company.

If that company tanks simply goes bankrupt. That's not his fault. He did what I told him to do if that company blows up and makes millions of dollars and I did even get the credit for that is my money I give it to him. He does with it. What I instruct him to do.

That's all Paul saw his life.

I'm not in charge of this. I'm not responsible save the world responsible to do as a steward with what God has given me what God has instructed me to write this down success and failure are master words. Faithfulness is a concern of stewards. Some of you are obsessed about the success or the failure of your life that you shows that you have assumed the position of master. You're not the master, you're simply a steward in your word is not success or failure your word is faithfulness to those of you who tend to carry around the weight of too much responsibility what God requires of steward all that he requires is that we be faithful with what he assigned to us because listening. God is a major need you either not Mexican have a going man this I use his talents the way that I put my kingdoms in the snow even need you. I can do more with one active faithfulness than you could accomplish in 10,000 lifetimes on your own, you will reduce your really good example that in book of acts how we got several weeks ago a map separate silt, Phillips and Samaria.

Those preaching got using them hundreds of thousands of people were getting saved Samaria and then the most unexpected thing happens. The spirit of God says to Philip, I want to leave Samaria were hundreds of people getting saved, and I want you to go stand by yourself on the side a little dusty road leading down to Africa and filled was like honey have a big impact here, but you will stand on a dusty road with no traffic through so you Philip stands there, but sure enough, soon comes the single chariot and it is a guy that we now refer to as the Ethiopian eunuch and Philip leads him to Christ in this God was on scholar Saito found the church in Africa and what you see is that God does more than one active faithfulness than Philip could accomplish in 10,000 lifetimes on their own to the credit question for you is what has God told you to do.

I refrain right now this is making a very difficult decision about whether he should transition in ministry somewhere and he told me he said you know most for most my life. I've always asked myself the question, where can I have the biggest impact where you know what, where, where is the best investment of my of my talents. He said after studying the book of acts. I realize the only question I need to ask is where does God want me because God doesn't need me. He doesn't need me to have an impact visiting my dad he just wants me to be faithful because he can do more with one active faithfulness and I could accomplish in 10,000 lifetimes. It's not your ability that God needs. It is your availability because the point is not what you can do for him.

But what he can do through you. When you get to heaven I think you're going to be blown away at how God used small acts of faithfulness to do the greatest things every once in a while Gotto give you a glimpse of it now, especially if you're weak in faith, like me, you need constant reminders to give you little glasses, for example, I think I told you before that after I graduated high school. Two years later I got a letter from a girl that had been in my high school group who told me in this letter she says we never had a conversation, not one time, she said, but I just recently gave my life to Christ and my friend asked me what were the biggest catalytic things that pushed me to faith in Christ.

She said I'm making a list.

She said a conversation that you had with somebody else on and didn't even know that I was listening was the biggest one the biggest catalyst for becoming the face she said, because I watched your life. She said you were a curiosity for me. She thought you were strange for multiple reasons. She said I thought you were strange.

She said, but in that conversation I heard you give testimony to Jesus Christ. She said in that conversation. He didn't even know I was listening to his will.

God used to turn me around. I think when you get to heaven you would be blown away at how much that kind of stuff happens when God takes the smallest I could.

Faithfulness college student you feel like you lost the argument in that classroom thought you got humiliated like your commitment to purities not making any difference when you get to heaven.

Did you realize that God used your courageous stand as a catalyst for somebody else to actually come to faith. What I meant was like any college you feel like you got the some like you want to football game and there's like a sea of people all were one culture for their team, and you've always got the one or two guys like right in the middle there were the quality of the team and the risks here and there heads off and you also want you doing I know what you hear. You making everybody mad not make any difference at all. The game right that's what it means to be a follower of Jesus, and many of these environments he's like I'm cheering for the other team. Nobody is paying attention. I just irritate everybody. God uses that kind of faithfulness, for his spirit to do things for you that will blow you away mothers and fathers. I can tell you that what God uses in your kids life is consistent faithfulness, not some big dramatic conversation is a guy who was deeply impacted by his mom and dad. I can tell you the biggest impact didn't go back to a conversation I had with me so much as it is the ordinary faithfulness I observed in their lives over a lifetime right to stamp success in life is identifying what God is called you to be completely faithful and it first servant success in life is identifiable got is called you doing be good with the faithful and it in a particularly stressful time in my life when I was really worried about whether or not I was succeeding the first three years I was a pastor.

Here the years and I'm referring to when I was afraid about you figure out that I really didn't know what I was doing give up his allusion but behind the single thing on I wrote down on the car little on in the chartered in 10 things that I knew Jesus would call me to every night for three years.

The last thing I would do before I went to sleep as a ball that carded every day there's 10 things had to Jesus that I do this today that exist today that I do this well because I knew that if I done.

There's 10 things well the Jesus a call me to.

I was a success regardless of how big the church God, a God or regardless of how you thought about me. Success in life is determining what Jesus has called you to do been faithful in it so that when you die, you hear from him. Those words well done good and faithful servant. One of our pastors some Chris Gaynor. His mother passed away dear saint of God hi Jackie Gaynor she's been here on the live in Georgia been here church many times Chris told me after his mother passed away. He said you know is is when the world looks of my mother.

They would know if I'm that much of a we consider to be remarkable.

She didn't have any real talents that were due no world renowned. She wasn't necessarily great speakers see she was the very ordinary person she submitted in her mid-40s she figured out the God had called her disciple of the women answer for the last 25 years. She has faithfully discipled women. She didn't write a curriculum she didn't speak to large groups of women. He said she just took a curriculum somebody else had written that something very ordinary and that is disciple of the women is that over the 25 years and she's done that she's discipled literally hundreds of women.

My question for you is what you think Jackie Gaynor hurts when she stepped foot into heaven that she may not have had a big impact on the world is that for you to hear about it. What you think she her when she stepped foot into heaven in the Lord Jesus looked at her and says, well done good and faithful servant because you did exactly what I told you to do and not what you want to hear what you like to look at the face of Jesus when the world proceeds behind you and all the applause there is done in the opinions of a bunch of no account earthlings are fading. In the distance have the creator of the universe who loved you spoke the end from the beginning who cared for you and died for you. Who is your inheritance, who is the Alpha and the Omega look you in the eyes and say well done good and faithful servant. You are the mother I told you to be with her father. I told you to be you did for me.

What I told you to do that is success in Paul's life that you want that what you want to hear we start living that way now number two. I told the truth, but also not told the truth first 20 I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable. He says again for 27 at industry from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Paul saw himself first Timothy 27 is a Harold of truth I Harold in those days was not responsible for composing the message they want. Responsible for the content of the message they were responsible for whether people like the message or how they responded to it.

The only responsibility of the Harold was that they delivered the message theologian JI Packer says about Paul. Paul, in his own estimation was not a philosopher is not a moralist is not the world's wisest man or even a great teacher. Paul saw himself simply as Christ's, Harold Paul's Royal master had given him a message to proclaim Paul's whole business, therefore, was to deliver that message with exact ends. Duty is faithfulness. Paul added nothing altered, nothing omitted. Nothing.

Let me tell you how seriously Paul took this December 26 Ray says I'm innocent of the blood of you all. That is a quote from a verse in Ezekiel chapter 33 where God is speaking to the prophet Ezekiel, any calls easy kill a watchman watchman in those days was the guy who stood on the wall and watch for the enemy. So if an enemy was coming to attack a watchman would warn the people that the enemy was coming and God says to me.

Ezekiel is equal 33 eight when I say to the wicked man all wicked men, you will surely die and you the watchman do not warn him to turn from his iniquity. Surely the man will die in his iniquity but his blood, I will require your hands and what he meant by that is this window watchman sees the enemy coming in. The watchman warns the Army. The Army does not get prepared.

It's not a watchman's fault because the watchman told them that he was going Army was coming, but if the watchman is derelict in his duty and doesn't want the Army doing the city decided that everybody dies and is the watchman's bolts. Paul saw himself as the watchman was for the people of God had assigned Jesus telling you to do right. Pastor JD said success in life is identifying what God is called you to and then being faithful in accomplishing your listening to Senate life. The Bible teaching ministry of JD Greer. If you tune a little late today, no worries, you can catch the rest of the message online@jdgreer.com also have the option of downloading the complete edited sermon transcripts to help you follow along. These transcripts are ahead for those looking for further study to check them out and share them with the frame. It's our pleasure to give you access to these and other Bible study resources entertainment like to get a theory important resource into your hands, its volume to live a personal study guide called sent the book of acts, interactive questions and insightful commentaries will help you think through how you can be an active part of God's mission to reach the last in our prayer is that through this teaching series on the air and this work, but that we've created to accompany the you'll be encouraged to leverage the opportunities and gifts to give been given to reach your community with the gospel will be glad to send you volume tale of the act study guide now to express our gratitude for your financial support and just thinking out volume 1 is also still available if you missed it earlier this spring. Remember when you give to Senate life you make it possible for us to deliver these daily Bible programs and all of the other free resources on our website. So get today and join our mission to put the gospel Frank center donate by calling 866-335-2866 335-5220 where it might be easier to give online@jdgreer.com lying on the website you learn about becoming a gospel partner or partners or special members of our team here in JD Greer ministries interval part only through this radio ministry. Our new TV ministry.

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