Let me ask you a very serious question!
The Christian life -- is it tough or easy?
Which is it suppose to be?
Does faith in Jesus Christ cause us difficulty -- hardship -- suffering & loss? -- Or does it pave for us an easy road to heaven?
These are not easy questions!
But if we look at some of the people in the Bible -- the ones we admire & respect for their obvious faithfulness to the Lord -- we see that they did not have a life of ease.
The Apostle Paul -- for example -- faced difficulties that would make most of us wonder -- "where is God?"
Paul faced
shipwrecks -- imprisonments -- beatings -- as well as other kinds of
abuse. (see
It seems he was better off before he started following Jesus!
In
It was likely to
be his final trip to
Along the way --
Paul made arrangements to have the elders from
That meeting is
recorded in
When the leaders of the Ephesians church arrived at the pre-arranged site -- Paul began sharing with them.
I am going to
read Paul's message from the
Paul said: --
"You know that from the day I set foot in the province of
"I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.
"Yet I never shrank from telling you the truth -- either publicly -- or in your homes. -- I have had one message for Jews & Gentiles alike -- the necessity of turning from sin & turning to God -- & of faith in our Lord Jesus."
Wow -- what a message! -- It was then -- & it is today!
Paul continues
in vs.
Now notice
Paul states --
"But my life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned
me by the Lord Jesus -- the work of telling others the Good News about God's
wonderful kindness & love" (
I'm going to
read
"But none of these things move me -- neither count I my life dear unto myself -- so that I might finish my course with joy -- & the ministry -- which I have received of the Lord Jesus -- to testify the gospel of the grace of God."
That verse leaped out at me recently as I read it. -- I stopped everything I was doing -- & read it again; -- especially the phrase: -- “that I might finish my course with joy."
I printed those words out & hung them on my office wall -- "that I might finish my course with joy" -- & I entitled it -- "My Personal Goal."
I have since studied that verse as it appears in other Bible versions.
Most of them leave out those two words "with joy." -- What a shame!
As for me -- I want to finish my course "with joy."
I've seen too many people who come down toward the end of their lives -- who look like & act like old dried up prunes; -- always miserable.
I want to be happy -- be joyful -- be cheerful -- be joyous -- be excited!
There are three phrases that stand out boldly in this testimony from Paul: -- he speaks of "my life" -- "my course" -- "my ministry."
Look at them individually -- & try to discover some of the secrets of Paul's courage & devotion -- as he approached uncertain days toward the end of his life.
1. The first phrase Paul uses is -- "my life."
Paul said: -- "Neither count I my life dear unto myself ..."
He learned this truth from the Lord Jesus Christ!
You will remember that Jesus told His disciples -- "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it" (Matt. 16:25).
Your life -- my friends -- is a gift from God!
"In Him we live, & move, & have our being” (Acts 17:28).
Even before you were born -- God knew you -- & God had a purpose for your life.
Your talents & abilities -- your interests -- your strengths -- & even your weaknesses -- are all a part of a divine plan.
God gave you natural life -- but He also gave you spiritual life through faith in Jesus Christ! -- God made you & God saved you!
The life you have both physically & spiritually -- is the gift of God!
Paul did not keep this gift for himself.
He gave it back to God -- for God to use for the glory of Jesus Christ.
So Paul was able to say -- “Neither count I my life dear unto myself ..."
There is a principle in the spiritual life that says -- whatever you keep -- you lose; -- whatever you give -- you possess forever.
If you count your life dear to yourself -- & protect your own interest -- & pamper yourself -- then you will never really live.
But if you yield yourself to the Lord -- & let Him control your life -- you will enjoy abundant life!
Selfish people are always unhappy people!
They are so busy trying to get more & more -- that they fail to enjoy what they already have.
When you go through life asking -- "What am I going to get?" -- instead of -- "What can I give?" -- You lose out on all the exciting blessings God has for you.
Paul did not make his own life his dearest possession.
What was upper-most in Paul's life was to do God's will.
His life was not a treasure for him to guard; -- it was a treasure for him to invest in service to Jesus Christ.
You & I have but one life to live!
When life is ended -- there will be no more opportunity to make that life count for Christ.
Do you remember that old saying? --
Only one life -- till soon be past;
Only what's done for Christ will last.
It's true -- you know!
2. The second phrase Paul uses is -- "my course."
Paul says -- "...so that I might finish my course with joy ..."
Paul often used athletic illustrations in his letters -- & this is one of them.
In Paul's writings -- life is often represented as a "course" -- a "race" to be run. -- He is saying "I want to finish my race (my course) with joy."
He could be rich or poor -- full or hungry -- imprisoned or free -- lonely or with friends -- it mattered little as long as he was serving Jesus Christ with joy.
His goal was not to play it safe -- & protect himself.
Instead -- he lived to finish his spiritual race with joy -- & to faithfully complete God's task for him.
Paul's courage challenges us to live for Christ -- & to complete our course with ultimate fulfillment & joy.
As the years of my life pass by -- I think more & more about that phrase -- "growing old gracefully."
If this phrase -- "growing old gracefully" -- describes anyone -- it should describe the Christian!
With each added year -- we should become more kind -- more gracious -- less irritable -- & less grumpy. -- How are you doing?
The contrast between finishing poorly -- & finishing well -- is explained poetically in the words: --
The darkness of a spirit
grown mean & small -- fruit shriveled on the vine,
bitter to the taste of my companions,
burden to be borne by those brave few who love me still.
No, Lord. -- Let the fruit grow lush & sweet,
a joy to all who taste;
Spirit-sign of God at work --
stronger, fuller, brighter at the end.
Lord, let me get home before dark. (Robertson McQuilkin)
My friends -- the Holy Spirit produces the "fruit of the Spirit" in us -- which is "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22,23).
As we yield to Him -- we ought to -- & we can -- become more Christ-like with each passing years.
The race of life is run by faith -- & it is won by grace!
In a few more years --liberally speaking -- I will be reaching an age where I can finally begin to participate -- in the "Just Older Youth" (JOY) activities here at the church.
So I thought it might be wise for me to begin to read up on this subject of -- "growing old gracefully."
I ordered -- & received just this week -- three books which I am looking forward to reading soon.
Two of them were written by Karen O'Connor; -- one entitled Help, Lord! I'm Having a Senior Moment -- & the other entitled Gettin’ Old Ain't for Wimps.
The other book I've received this week is written by Wes Tracy, entitled Younger Than I Used to Be.
And he says -- "A new attitude won't solve all your problems -- but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."
How are you doing in "growing old gracefully"?
Are you farther along the course today than you were last week?
Or have you slipped back -- & lost ground spiritually?
Are you -- finishing your course with joy? -- Or has your fruitfulness turned bitter?
God says through
the prophet
That my friends, is the Word of the Lord! -- Believe it!
3. The last of the three phrases that Paul uses in
He says -- "the ministry, which I have received of the Lord."
His life was a gift from God. -- He wanted to finish his course with joy. --
While he was running that course -- he wanted more than anything else to fulfill the ministry the Lord had assigned to him.
Each one of us has a ministry to fulfill -- given us by God!
I've looked that expression up in several translations, -- Some say the ministry; -- others say the task -- or the work.
For Paul it was "the task of testifying to the Gospel of God's grace" (NIV).
For me it is pastoral ministry -- which I have done now for over 40 years. -- And I've tried to do it better with each passing year!
What is God asking you to do? -- Are you faithful to the task?
What you do is just as important in ministering to others -- as what I am doing.
You may be called of God to clean the church -- to keep the grounds looking nice outside the church -- to work in the church kitchen -- to teach a Sunday School class -- to work the sound equipment -- to fold the bulletin -- to prepare the weekly prayer sheet -- to help in the bus ministry -- to lead the singing -- or any other of a number of assignments.
What you do is just as important as what I do!
Oh that we may remain faithful to the task -- the work -- the assignment to which God has called us!!
As for me -- I never remember a day I did not feel the call of God upon my life to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
As a small lad growing up on the farm -- as young as 5 years of age -- I remember preaching to the cows out in the pasture.
I don't know that I got any of them "saved" -- but I was being faithful to the task -- the calling of God upon my life.
I lived in rebellion for a period of time during my young teen years.
But from the day
I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus -- at age
As a teenager I preached in whatever local church invited me.
As a college student I preached in the area nursing homes -- held week end revivals -- and then I began pastoring a local church in Jan. 1965.
Today I see my calling as three-fold: --
I am to be a priest who represents God before man -- & man before God.
I am to be a pastor who cares for people -- & enables healing to take place.
I am to be a prophet who announces God's judgment & demands upon society.
What is the purpose of your life? -- To be happy? -- To make a ton of money? -- To be loved by lots of people? -- Or is it to honor God?
Paul saw God's assignment as the only truly worthwhile task in life.
People need something bigger than themselves to believe in -- & to invest their lives in!
Only God can give meaning to the apparently senseless pain we see all around us.
As Christians -- we can work at something that will last for eternity!
As a born-again Christian -- every one of us has a God given ministry -- a task -- a calling to fulfill.
Paul wrote to young Timothy -- "Make full proof of thy ministry" (2 Tim. 4:5).
Literally that means -- "Fulfill your ministry; -- accomplish in your work the things God has called you to do."
Each of us has a special ministry from the Lord that no one else can do for us.
It is our ministry -- your ministry -- assigned to you by the Lord Himself -- & you are responsible to finish that task for His glory!
We never should envy somebody else because of his/her ministry -- because the work God has given us to do is just as important in the eyes of God -- as whatever God has given to someone else.
Paul speaks of the "grace of God" -- in our text.
That word grace is a marvelous word!
It carries with it the idea of God's free gifts to people who do not deserve them. -- Grace is God's favor! -- You cannot earn it; -- you cannot merit it; -- you can only receive it by faith.
Grace means that God does for you what you cannot do for yourself.
Grace means that God gives to you what you could never earn -- or deserve -- even if you tried for a million years.
My friends -- whatever ministry God has called you to fulfill -- be sure to magnify the grace of God!
Most of the people in the world think they can earn their way to heaven -- or please God by good works & religious activities.
It is our privilege & our responsibility to tell them the gospel -- the good news -- that God will give them salvation -- if they will only receive Jesus -- & trust in Him!
Salvation by works would be bad news -- because nobody could ever make it!
But salvation by grace is good news!
Anybody can trust in Jesus Christ & be saved!
That -- my friends -- is good news!
Conclusion:
Paul uses those three phrases -- my life -- my course -- my ministry!
Apply them to yourself! -- My life -- my course -- my ministry!
It would do us good to repeat those three phrases at the beginning of each new day -- for they help us take inventory of our spiritual experience
Life is not always easy! -- Even Christians suffer hardships & trials.
Life is hard for everybody; -- it's much harder for some than for others.
Putting our trust in Jesus as our Savior does little to change that fact.
Nothing in the Bible promises us a free pass -- merely because we have become a Christian!
The truth of it is -- some people suffer more after becoming a Christian than they did before! -- For one thing -- Satan attacks them more!
But anticipating what God has in store for us can put a smile in our heart -- & joy in our soul!
Hope gives us poise -- & lets us live with inner strength -- because we know that one day we will be dramatically different than we are now!
My life -- my course -- my ministry!
Are you holding your life dear to yourself? -- Or are you yielding your life to Jesus Christ?
Are you running your course -- your race -- with joy? -- Or are you becoming an old dried up prune filled with bitterness?
Are you fulfilling the ministry -- the task -- that God has given to you?
No matter what issues you may be facing in your life just now -- turn yourself over to Jesus Christ!
Yield Him your life -- & let Him work out His good & perfect will in you -- in your life -- your course -- & your God given assignment!
Pastor
Wynne Chapel