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Book: Acts
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Acts 20:24 The Gospel of Grace
Intro. Paul has called for the elders from the church in Ephesus to come
to the coast to Melitus to meet him as he is on his way to
Jerusalem. These are men that had labored for the Lord with him
while he was with them for three years. Close bonds of love had
developed between them.
I. Paul's desire to go to Jerusalem.
A. In his heart his great desire was to witness for Christ in
Jerusalem.
1. Since his conversion Jerusalem had not been a friendly
place for Paul.
a. In his first visit after meeting Jesus on the
road to Damascus, the church was very wary of
him some of them even questioned his
conversion.
b. He was there again with them to settle the
issue of the gospel of grace that he was
preaching to the Gentiles.
c. Paul seemed to have his differences with those
in the church in Jerusalem, he had withstood
Peter to the face, as he rebuked him for his
vascilation.
d. Yet Paul seemed to have a great love for them
and a desire to be accepted by them. Even now
he is carrying money to them that he had
collected from the Gentile churches.
2. The Spirit has been warning Paul that bonds and
afflictions are waiting for him there.
a. There is a question as to whether or not it was
God's will for Paul to go to Jerusalem.
b. Were the warnings to keep him from going? Or
were they just the faithfulness of God to let
him know what would happen if he went, and did
God leave the decision to Paul?
c. In chapter 21 verse 4 certain disciples in the
church in Tyre told Paul by the Spirit that he
should not go up to Jerusalem.
d. In Caesarea the prophet Agabus again warned
Paul that he was going to be bound and turned
over to the Gentiles when he went to Jerusalem.
When the brethren there sought to talk Paul out
of going, he asked, "Are you trying to break my
heart with your tears? I am ready not only to
be bound, but to die for Christ in Jerusalem.
e. We read at that point when they saw the
determined stubbornness of Paul they ceased
saying the will of the Lord be done.
d. We are not quite sure what that means. Did they
cease saying the will of the Lord be done, or
did they cease seeking to dissuade him and just
said, "Well the will of the Lord be done."
3. Paul had an extremely strong will. This was one of his
strong points. He could have never undergone the work
for the Lord to the extent that he did unless he was so
strong willed.
a. Yet as is often the case the place of our great
strengths can be a blessing and also a
hindrance in our service for the Lord.
b. The stubborn will keeps him going on his
purposes even though the Spirit may be seeking
to warn him otherwise.
B. Paul declared that none of these things move me. That is the
warnings of the trouble that he will experience in Jerusalem.
II. Why did they not move him from his purposes?
A. He did not count his life dear to himself.
1. Paul figured to live is Christ and to die is gain.
2. He spoke of his desire to depart and to be with Christ
which was far better, it was only for their sakes that
he saw the Lord keeping him around.
3. He had already visited heaven for a short time and was
anxious to go back.
4. If we only knew how glorious heaven was, we would never
wish our loved ones back on this sin cursed earth
again, that is if we truly loved them.
5. It's my love for myself that would cause me to ask God
to send them back.
B. One of the greatest hindrances to the work of the gospel is
the fact that we count our lives dear to ourselves.
1. We are so concerned what man is going to think about
us, or say about us that we keep silent about our
faith.
2. We often are afraid of a little ridicule, and thus are
cowed into silence.
C. Paul was anxious to finish his course with joy.
1. He looked at life as a race.
a. He was running to win. He wrote that though
many may enter the race, only one receives the
first prize, he encouraged them to run to win.
b. He was willing to lay aside every weight that
might slow him down.
c. The goal of this race was heaven.
d. The prize was the high calling of God in Christ
Jesus. The joy of dwelling in His presence, in
His kingdom forever.
2. When Paul was approaching his martyrdom, he wrote to
Timothy, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished
the course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth their is
laid up for me a crown of righteousness that the Lord
our righteous judge shall give, not only to me but to
all that love His appearing.
III. Paul desired to finish his ministry.
A. This ministry he received from the Lord Jesus.
1. When Paul first met Jesus he asked, "What would you
have me to do Lord?"
a. Here he is still acknowledging Jesus as Lord.
b. Jesus was truly the Lord of his life.
c. The question is: "Is Jesus the Lord of your
life?"
d. Jesus said, "Why do you call Me Lord, yet you
do not the things I say?"
e. Jesus said, "Not all that call Me Lord, Lord
are going to enter the kingdom of heaven, but
he that doeth the will of the Father."
f. Is it possible that you fit into this category?
2. When Paul was first converted the Lord said that he
would show Paul how great of things he would suffer for
the sake of Jesus.
a. In his letter to the Philippians Paul mentions
that the knowledge of Jesus Christ cost him the
loss of all things. Some believe even his
marriage.
b. Paul believed that what he had gained was of
such far greater value that there could be no
comparison.
c. When Peter said to Jesus, "Lord we have left
all to follow you." Jesus responded,
LUK 18:29 Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or
parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of
God's sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present
time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
B. Paul's ministry was to preach to the Gentiles the gospel or
good news of grace.
1. He wrote to the church in Ephesus, "By grace are you
saved through faith."
2. To the church in Rome he wrote,
ROM 11:6 And if by grace, then [is it] no more of works: otherwise grace
is no more grace. But if [it be] of works, then is it no more
grace:
3. To Timothy he wrote,
2TI 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called [us] with an holy calling, not
according to our works, but according to his own purpose and
grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
4. The gospel of grace declares that salvation is a gift
of God to those who receive Jesus Christ His Son as the
Lord of their lives.
5. There is not a single work or combination of works that
you can do to save yourselves.
6. However when you are once saved, and begin to know the
riches of His love and grace toward you through Jesus
Christ, you will find that you will want to do all that
you can for Him.
7. As a Jew, Paul was seeking to be saved by keeping all
the works of the law, but with all his efforts, he was
still conscious of the presence of evil in his nature.
8. No matter how hard he tried to be good, evil was still
present.
9. His mind was never at rest as he sought to keep the
works of the law.
10. Upon finding Jesus Christ as Lord, he discovered that
Jesus had kept the righteous demands for him, so that
by believing in Jesus God had accounted him as being
righteous.
11. The issue is no longer his work for God that really
counted, but is was God's work for him that mattered.
12. Finding this good news, Paul immediately dumped all
the points he had gained in keeping the law, and opted
for the righteousness of Jesus Christ accounted to him
through faith.
13. He then began to experience the power of the Holy
Spirit in his life giving him the capacity to do the
right things as he yielded to His influence.
14. These tireless good works that Paul was now doing, did
not save him, they only proved the genuineness of his
confession that Jesus Christ was Lord of his life.
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