1158. Your Ministry Gift From God

Welcome to The Daily Platform or program printer sermons from travel services Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Every day students are blessed by the preaching and teaching of the Bible from the University Chapel platform were continuing the series from acts 20 preached in seminary chapel today speaker is Dr. Jason Ormiston, Pastor of family Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota morning. I want to invite to take your Bible and turned acceptor 20 but I need to do something. As we look at this verse. Your ministry gifts from God. Consider the context 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. That's our verse for today. If you look at it and understand it within the chapter. This is an appeal made by the apostle Paul to the elders from Ephesus who gather together if you look back in verse 17 now for Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

It's a very special discussion that he has that got very emotional because if we look at the end of the chapter. Look at verse 36 of chapter 20 and when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all in their was much weeping on the part of all, they embrace Paul and kissed him. The sorrowful most of all because of the word had spoken that they would not see his face again and they accompanied him to the ship. So what Paul is sharing here is really a farewell address he's sharing his heart. He didn't expect to see any of these pastors again and he says something in the heart of this verse, which is profound for all of us to grasp this idea of ministry being a gift and what it means to identify your ministry and what it's for me to identify my ministry. This verse actually has great meaning to me because just two years ago when I was reading through the book of acts.

I wrote it down on a Post-it note I put it on my computer and I knew I needed a verse to help me get through the year.

It was a time of some challenges at church and some new classes coming my way here at school and some other issues going on as I'm just trying to shepherd my own kids and I knew I needed a reminder every day when I open up that computer to get ready for class that I do ministry the gods called me to and I need to be faithful to that ministry are identification how we ID ourselves, how we view significance in our lives is super important. The apostle Paul takes us through a series of exhortation's to consider how you view your life is really what God wants you to see it through his lens.

It's interesting that in this verse. Actually, verses 22 through 27th.

Paul speaks of his present ministry, and he uses words that we see in this verse I do not account my life it seems to be the reference to some sort of an accountant. He also refers to a course or is a runner. He refers to himself as a witness. He is talking about what is testifying the gospel of the grace of God. Verse 25 he proclaims something so he's a Harold and he is the blood of no one on his hands.

He is a watchman sees dumping all sorts of pictures of how he views his ministry only look at this verse.

He starts out by making the statement, but I do not account my life of any value not as what you think about it piece by piece.

I don't account my life of any value price. My first year this call or sending a primate saying that I think poor guy is going through a midlife crisis or he's really really pessimistic there something going on. I just want to give that guy or encourage him or something. I'm not really a huggy type guy, maybe a fist pump eyes wide open site. You can do this. It's not going to be. It's not really that bad but that's not he's not looking for self-pity.

He's making a connection to something he says I do not account my life take all of these words.

He talked about himself is very personal. The word for account has the idea of rational thinking. It says the idea when I step back and consider my own life in the life there is talking about his life on this earth.

He's not expecting to see them again. That's very clear from the end of this chapter he made that clear them. I don't know that I'll see again. I want to know something in the midst of this final discourse when I look back at my life and I think rationally about my life. I don't think that it is something that is really super significant that everyone should look at and hold up in high esteem. The first thing I want to encourage you to think about. He was rational. What is it that God wants to do with your life. Or perhaps it's even your own personal desires that I will be successful if and when you start to fill in the blanks. If I starts, not a church but a church planting movement where I will be successful if I become an author or I will be successful in of the author actually produce the book.

The people want to read more and I'll be successful if I have this large family and large church ministry and large everything in my life. I mean II don't want to be rich but if I'm taking care of others use that money for missions and we resort to put all sorts of things together about what is really valuable and he is rationally stopping and he's asking questions. What think about Paul.

What motivated Paul we give you a couple suggestions on just considering the writings of Paul. Paul took time honest reflection. His motive Philippians 120 through 21 God's glory. Whether I live or die.

It's for Christ for me to live is Christ to die is gain. He was obsessed with the idea of God giving glory to his message God's gospel.

So what motivated them God's glory. What message did he use God's gospel and what I mean when I say that will Galatians 16 through ninth. As we said before now. I say again, if anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed or second Corinthians 13 three very endearing verse but I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning. Your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere pure devotion to Christ to Paul was not into the complicated.

He wanted to communicate what was clearly known to the people the gospel just say at the way this is so try to get fancy with it.

I'm not coming with excellence of speech, but I need you to know about the cross so he was motivated by God's glory. His message was God's gospel in his means was God's grace. I love the passage in second Timothy two, which starts in verse two about reproduction and discipleship into faithful men who will be able to teach others also. But verse one says this you then. My child be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus. The grace that is in Christ Jesus gives us the strength so when Paul says this is very rational even in his writings about his own life.

So he's not sitting here having a pity party is not sitting here saying woe is me.

My life is worthless. I've done anything significant. He saying I'm just doing what I was called to do.

Notice not only was irrational but he makes a statement it's not of any value. Now this is this is an interesting word value. If you look at it. I'm sure you have your apps and you can check out the Greek on right.

This is the word for Lagos. This is a word for any saying and if you look at it in context. I'm I'm wondering Paul is saying I am not worthy for anyone to write about to talk about.

I'm not you know I don't expect anybody to hold me in high esteem.

Now Paul is an amazing man in his statements about himself. In A.D. 55 in first Corinthians 15 nine he says I am the least of the apostles in A.D. 61 he says in Ephesians 37 through eight where my getting his 80s and the dates of the books right so retarded like six years later.

First he says on the least of the apostles will be an apostle is pretty special. Some the least of the special special, but then he says in Ephesians 373 on the least of the Saints. All that all the okay well that's pretty humble and then in A.D. 63 or 66. However you date. First Timothy 115 90 says I am the chiefest of sinners is interesting about that Paul increasingly grew more humble as he got older, more effective in his ministry and he was an effective minister of the gospel, but the older he got more humble he became. He understood God's grace he understood.

It's not about me it's about God and his glory is about God's gospel being proclaimed. It's about God's grace working through make it so he says I don't think you should say anything of value nor as precious to myself. I don't think he regarded himself as remarkable, and that's just somewhat interesting so you can guess what I'm encouraging you to consider not only is irrational B's humble is nothing remarkable about me really Paul, I just wanted to pause on that statement and just contradict Paul for second so if learn about Paul where we go to the Bible yes Wikipedia okay so what is Wikipedia say about the apostle Paul. Wikipedia says this Paul is generally considered one of the most important figures of the apostolic age in the mid 30s to the mid-50s. A.D. he founded several churches in Asia minor and you in Europe. He took advantage of his status as both a Jew and a Roman citizen to minister to both Jewish and Roman audiences. And it goes on to give a description of how he persecuted the church and he became a convert of the very group of people that he persecuted and then it is they make the statement.

How many books that Paul authored in the New Testament. According to Wikipedia 13 of the 27 books so is nothing to be talked about the Paul 13 books. No big deal in and then to add this and that's why keep referring to Wikipedia's Unicenter not promoting this, but today Paul's epistles continue to be the bio roots of theology, worship and pastoral life in the Catholic and Protestant traditions. So try to save you is that not only do we think much of Paul because he really did some amazing things like how the church is the plant if you counted them in the New Testament you'll find somewhere in the neighborhood of 14 mentioned that's not the count churches like in when he was visiting with Lydia and in acts 16 in the Macedonia area where they had seminal beginnings of churches that probably started dominant suggest that is somewhere between 14 to 20 churches and that's not even as amazing as the daughter churches and granddaughter churches and great-granddaughter churches when you think of church planters.

I think of the apostle Paul. I don't know about you but hey guess what Paul say in my life that it's not much to talk about is not much to write about. Let's let's not stop there.

Not just the life of Paul was talk about the miracles of Paul not something we talk a lot about, but I want to overwhelm you with this reality of Paul. Acts 1311 when he do as a miracle. He told a sorcerer on the Isle of Paphos, the blind and the guy went blind. Acts 1410 there was a man who was lame from his mother's womb, whom he healed and I love the response to this man.

The man began to leap and walk. Imagine if you had never walked before because you had never had the opportunity impulses you can rise and walk. You know how to do it something you like, skipping and jumping in so glorious it was centered on what in the world. Who is this guy and then it gets even more interesting. Acts 1618. Just because he's annoyed at this demon possessed girl because you know he wanted to go to Spain but the Holy Spirit said no.

I forbid you from that I want to go to Macedonia.

So here's a Macedonia okay so okay great, there's the people at the river. They get converted. Lydia got opens her heart.

Okay, awesome. This girl keeps saying stuff to demon come out of you demon comes a hot slave girl and it created quite an uproar.

As you remember next 16 acts 1911 to 12 this is actually recorded that handkerchiefs and aprons from the apostle Paul. If someone could grab some of those in those handkerchiefs or aprons touch someone they would be healed and I'm not talking about televangelists or this is amazing stuff that Paul would do and then in acts 2010 through 12. He's preaching a very long sermon and unicast falls out of the window and he raises this boy back to life and all of the ones I mentioned here all occur before Paul makes the statement, I do not account my life of any value while X 28 five after serving a surviving a shipwreck. She gets bitten by a poisonous snake and he survives that they want tournament or god. But she says no you can't, nor will I be accounted that way. In acts 28.

He heals a man whose suffering from recurrent fever and dysentery and if that's not enough love this 1X 1915, Jesus I know Paul I know, but who are you just have had to say that that's probably where most of us live like who are you with the demon world. And I think it Jason Ormiston watch Africa and if that's not enough. I want you to consider the words of Paul. Okay, it's a take your Bible, I have this up on the screen to take your Bible turn over to second Corinthians 1121 through 29.

She did not regard himself as remarkable in getting that from the idea of anything to be written up about the word is same expression worthy of being a subject of anyone's conversation. This what Paul says of himself segmenting is 1120 139 whatever anyone else dares to boast of him speaking as a fool. I also dare to boast of that are the Hebrews saw my by the Israelites so much are the offspring of Abraham.

So MI are the servants of Christ. I am a better one. I'm talking like a madman with far greater labor is far more imprisonments with countless beatings and often near death five times I received at the hands of the Jews 40 lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked on night and the day I was adrift at sea, that must've been terrifying by the way on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger for my own people danger from Gentiles danger in the city danger in the wilderness danger at sea danger from false brothers in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night and hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure, and apart from other things, there is the daily pressure of my anxiety. For all the churches who is weak and I'm not weak who is made the fall and I'm not in the indignant Paul in his own words is sin not had got an interesting life. In fact, interesting in that I would love to read about the sky and know more about it right and we do we study him and then he's this example, but from Paul's perspective.

He goes on to say that I'm not even precious is my life is precious to myself this for second he let that soak in because I have a problem if you do, but I have a problem thinking way too highly of myself as I have all these things that I've done with my 44 years of existence.

So I'm I'm so good you need to listen to me teach you I'm nothing. The only value I have is if I point you to the word of God in the spirit of God convicts you and changes you really value you have is if you yield yourself to the spirit using the word of God to transform lives that we get all worked up about doing something that's valuable with their lives winded. God's glory God's gospel in God's grace stop being valuable. So Paul is a nurse and what I've done and accomplished is not something that you need to look up in and talk about or think that I think that highly of myself because I don't. I really believe he's being serious about I want you know that when Paul says this, nor is precious to myself. I don't want to think that Paul had a really low view of what it means to be made in the image of God of the that's what he saying I don't think he say I'm I'm nothing. I'm without value when it comes to God's perspective of me actually.

Paul was very very clear that God has a high view of every single human being. He creates an and in fact he goes on to heighten that thought.

I have versus written down.

Romans 828 through 29 talks of the process of sanctification leading the glorification.

Second Corinthians 318.

I go from one shade of glory to the next shade of glory. Colossians 39 through 10 Ephesians 422 through 24th. Paul doesn't stop with just your created in God's image, so you have value. He says you have the opportunity to transform because you've a new creature.

Now a new relationship with Christ in you the hope of glory so he doesn't say I want to take my life and ended.

He's saying that all the stuff that I've done is nothing compared to what God is doing in me and through me. It's all about God. Notice he was humble, if only I may finish my course for that's good stuff. And guess what I would ask you to consider. Paul said he was rational.

He's humble, what's the next one is the last point is three points of the sermon right. He was faithful he was faithful. Now this word. For course, is an interesting word because it has the idea of actually a race that could be run and it is something that you could consider as one that is a particular race that he's supposed to run and notice he emphasizes the course that's in front of him as his course, since a particular course right it's unique to him. But his goal is to do what with that course to finish. If you look into the word finish. It has the same root word is what Christ said in John 1930. It is finished. So this concept. Paul says no I want to be counted as faithful to the course. God has given me and I think this is the heart of this text. Because a lot of us want to be faithful to the course. God is given me as long as it matches up to and when you fill in the blank. This great author. This great speaker. This great church planter this great missionary.

I want people to quote me later on in life. Instead of being faithful at the ministry God has placed right in front of you know, there's no question as to what ministry. Paul received that happened on the Damascus Road notice the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus Christ was his ministry. Paul heard from Jesus who said why are you kicking against these products are you doing that this is what I want to do. I want to take my gospel to the Gentiles and then the kings and the rulers and then to the Jews was Paul always do seem to end up in the synagogues first and he gets cast out. And he ends up in rulers and kings company and he ends up going to the Gentiles, until he finally contradicts it. This is this is my race.

I think sometimes it takes us time to figure out what is that race that God wants me to run and I really identify with what is that what is a God wants us to do so. Corinthians 1215 I know he was certain to get it because he says I will most gladly spend and be spent for your soul, so she was understanding. He wanted to be faithful to the mission, but God's given so I'm asking this question. What is the mission that God has given to you. What is it that he wants to. Paul says in this verse to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

That's the mission that I have the Hebrew equivalent of Paul's word for grace is found 68 times in the whole Old Testament so the word grace. The Hebrew equivalent is found 60 times in all of the Old Testament in the four Gospels nearly twice the size of Paul's epistles. The word grace with its derivatives appear in the original only 13 times or less.

So now we get to the up the epistles of Paul only about 1/12 the size of the Old Testament. One half the size of the four gospel employs the word grace and its derivatives no less than 144 times you think you cared about grace.

Yeah, big time. Should we care about grace, that's absolutely definitely in.

He starts his epistles. He signed his name and proclamation of grace and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ epistle, we find that we are justified freely by his grace. Romans 324 where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Romans 520 really understanding grace and applying grace is for all of us to grab onto is important for us to get in. So an effort to be practical and ask you to be rational about your ministry pursuits to take this verse thinking about what Paul is saying is accounting my life that I don't count my life of any value to thinking through it and if you've taken on my courses you know I love asking you at the very beginning to draw trees like why is that tree thing.

The reason for that is I found it to be a helpful tool. Here's a picture of it. You take your roots and you write your core values.

This is what I hold to be true, and it starts with your connection to God through the gospel.

It could be other things in your life that you believe about the authority of Scripture. The need for men and women to repent and be saved. There could be other aspects. I love to bring up this this desire to see multiethnic ministries, then think about the people and in places got his allowed you to be influenced by because that's what shapes assess God's providence don't run from adults at all. They got it wrong actually say praise God for what I've received through his grace, and then what have I been able to accomplish in the now.

What am I going after Anton. If you can actually get this and not just do it for my classes but actually take it and turn it into a personal mission statement it will transform the decisions you make on a weekly basis. It helps guide what I do every week in my life. My desire that for you as well. That's one of the rational things public humble tester motives think is really personal right and it is because I think that sometimes we would prefer to give out Bibles and sign them and then they get a little bit more mass we get older but still a mess you heard of Booker T. Washington.

Here he is the president of the Tuskegee Institute is walking along the road in a wealthy white woman says them sir. Would you like to earn a couple dollars and chop wood and stack it for me not being one who is opposed the hard work. So sure I love do that for you it rolls up his sleeves, chop some wood stacks of wood. Later on she finds out he's the president of custody Institute.

What was I thinking in this is back when whole tension, racial tension was high and in when he talked to her he said it's no problem ma'am I always love good, honest work. I love working hard. It was my pleasure to do that for you later on this woman donated thousands of dollars to the Institute and he is known as an example of humility notice. You probably read the quote here notice is not about yourself. It's about being lost in a bigger purpose. Paul was lost in that bigger purpose and you need to be as well.

Be faithful. I close with this thought when I was in Minneapolis church planting all nations Baptist Church.

I had a gentleman called me up. I didn't know him from anywhere. His name is Marshall Fant. He was doing some studies at Central Baptist theological seminary working on his doctorate in ministry and he heard that I was church planting is adjacent. I want to take you and your wife out to dinner and he did so went out to dinner to Doolittle's restaurant and remember it and in a and like so interested that this guy would be interested in what's going on and we had a whopping 25 people attending our church at that time and he was sharing just tell me about your ministry, and then he brought two books and I commend these two liberating ministry from the success syndrome which I have listed up here is been such a blessing.

And actually, I purchased a bunch is the last copy I have left. I purchased about 15 of these I give these out as I have people coming up and asked me what's your definition of success and he also gave me Joseph Miller's building the church both.

I only brought one volume by bring to write but it was helpful in just the details of ministry in the church and his comments to me in the humility that he exuded just meeting with me and talk with me left a profound impact on my life and we need to do the same thing if it's not about us, it's about other people. God's glory. His gospel, the grace of God through us.

Were not to be so consumed about our successes and failures were in it consume with what God wants us to do and how we can encourage others in the same way so I hope this was an encouragement to this is, which are involved in is a ministry worth pursuing.

You been listening to a message preached by Dr. Jason Ormiston, pastor of family Baptist Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Join us again tomorrow as we continue the series for match 20 here on The Daily Platform