Finishing the Race

want to continue this morning our series
of studies in the book of Acts reading
this morning from Acts chapter 20 the
verses 17 through 24 before I do that
let me again point out the context here
by means of this particular map Paul as
you will recall is on his third
missionary journey he's on his way back
to Jerusalem he is backtracking from
Corinth the last time we looked at the
book of Acts he was in Troas and that's
the place where the young lad eutychus
fell out of the window and was raised
back to life by the Apostle Paul
now as the story goes on the rest of his
party traveled by boat to the city of
ASIS but Paul traveled by land and then
he joined the boat they traveled to
Mitylene to kioss to Samos and then he
disembarked at a place called Meletis
and that's where we pick up this story
because now he invites the elders from
Ephesus to join him there for his
farewell presentation so that's where we
pick up the story then in Acts chapter
20 beginning at verse 17 from Meletis
Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of
the church when they arrived he said to
them you know how I lived the whole time
I was with you from the first day I came
into the province of Isaiah I serve the
Lord with great humility and with tears
although I was severely tested by the
plots of the Jews you know that I have
not hesitated to preach anything that
would be helpful to you but have taught
you publicly and from house to house I
have declared to both Jews and Greeks
that they must turn to God in repentance
and have faith in our Lord Jesus and now
compelled by the spear
I'm going to Jerusalem not knowing what
will happen to me there I only know that
in every city the Holy Spirit warns me
that prison and hardships are facing me
however I consider my life were nothing
to me
if only I may finish the race and
complete the task the Lord Jesus has
given me the task of testifying to the
gospel of grace
if only he says I may finish the race
and complete the task join me in prayer
as we talk about that for a bit this
morning father
we're so grateful that we stand on the
shoulders of those who have gone before
us and we're so grateful that
historically there have been men and
women who are so passionately committed
to you that obedience to your will
exceeded even the desire for safety and
well-being in their own lives we confess
Lord we live in a culture that is
dedicated to comfort we live in a
culture where even the church oftentimes
measures things by how good it feels or
how much we like it as opposed to what
is the purposes of God and what advances
his kingdom thank you for Jesus the
author and the finisher of our faith who
for the joy that was said before him
endured suffering and shame and today is
seated at the right hand of God in glory
may that faith stir our hearts Lord and
may we always be sensitive to the call
of your Holy Spirit through your word
and may we individually and corporately
as we stand at the start of a new season
as a church be found faithful to the end
so that when we ultimately stand before
you in that final day we may hear these
gracious words well done
good and faithful servant you've been
faithful over little I will put you over
much Lord stir faith it's their hope
stir love bless the words that I speak
this morning give them to me as I need
them and help each of us Lord not only
to hear but also to be doers of the word
for we pray it in Jesus name Amen the
story before us this morning reminds me
of nothing as much as the observation
that Luke makes in his gospel concerning
the Lord Jesus towards the end of his
earthly ministry here's what Luke writes
in Luke chapter 9 verse 51 as the time
approached for him to be taken up to
heaven Jesus resolutely set his face
towards Jerusalem he resolutely set his
face towards Jerusalem now Jerusalem you
must remember is the place where Jesus
would be betrayed by Judas it's the
place where he would be falsely accused
falsely found guilty and ultimately be
put to death he knew that was going to
happen and yet the Bible says in Luke's
Gospel he resolutely set his face to
Jerusalem and the reason for that of
course was that he was more interested
in doing the will of God than in
preserving his own will we find that
happening later on in the Garden of
Gethsemane when he agonizes with the
prospect of taking upon himself all the
sins of the world and he cries out to
the father if possible take this cup
away from me but if not nevertheless not
my will but yours be done well we find
the same thing happening here with the
Apostle Paul he knows what's going to
happen to him
in broad generalities when he goes to
Jerusalem and yet he is determined to go
there listen again to how the Bible puts
it here in Acts chapter 20 the verses
that we have read and now compelled by
the Spirit I'm going to Jerusalem not
knowing what will happen to me there I
only know that in every city the Holy
Spirit warns me that prison and
hardships are facing me however I
consider my life worth nothing to me if
only I may finish the race and complete
the task the Lord Jesus has given me the
task of testifying to the gospel of
God's grace though he knows trouble
awaits him his face is steadfastly
resolutely set towards Jerusalem and the
reason is the will of God is more
important than his own safety and his
own well-being and as we start looking
at this particular passage this morning
there are I think three lessons or three
things in the story that I want for us
to note I don't think we'll get much
beyond point number one this morning but
let's make a start on it and see what we
can learn from this passage the first
thing I want us to note is that Paul's
decision to go to Jerusalem is motivated
by the Holy Spirit and now compelled by
this spirit I'm going to Jerusalem not
knowing what will happen to me they're
compelled by the Spirit is how the NIV
translates the Greek phrase which is
really bound in the spirit and what that
means I think is that there is an inner
pressure in Paul that says I don't know
fully what's going to happen to
me I know trouble is awaiting me I don't
know what that trouble looks like but
I'm not free to change my mind I am
compelled to go there now commentators
differ as to the meaning of bound in the
spirit Greek doesn't have capital
letters and so in our English Bible it's
a capital S to indicate the Holy Spirit
but commentators differ there are some
commentators who think the meaning is
Paul was bound in his own spirit that is
to say he had this inner compulsion to
do this particular thing and he was
driven in that way others think no that
doesn't adequately fit the context the
context is clearly beyond just his own
spirit and he is compelled by the Spirit
of God and that's why the NIV translates
it in the way that it does I suspect
both are true I think there is something
inside Paul that says I gotta go to
Jerusalem can't get away from it I'm
driven to go there it's intense don't
know what's going to happen to me part
of that is his own spirit but the Holy
Spirit living in him drives him and
compels him to accomplish the purposes
of God in going to Jerusalem and there's
an important lesson in all of this for
us I think and that is the fact that
under the terms of the new covenant
God's people aren't merely instructed or
propelled from the outside we are
compelled from the inside by the
promptings of the Holy Spirit see that's
one of the differences between the Old
Covenant and the New Covenant in the Old
Covenant
the average believer had two means of
being instructed in the ways of God the
law or the prophets the law said this is
how I want you to live the Prophet would
come along and say yes this is indeed
how I want you to live under the New
Covenant we not only have the law we not
only have others who can tell us how it
is that we ought to live but under the
New Covenant we have the Holy Spirit who
now lives in us who is the Spirit of
Jesus and he directs us from the inside
out that I take it as the significance
of that incident on the mana
Transfiguration perhaps you'll remember
the story Jesus takes Peter James and
John up on the mountain remember the
story and he is transfigured before them
the Lord shows them the coming glory of
the Lord Jesus and and a and and with
Jesus there appears who Moses and Elijah
remember that do you remember the story
liven up a little bit here so you know
we can have some back and forth stuff
remember what Peter said when he put his
foot in his mouth
Peter said let me build three tents
remember that one for you one for Moses
and one for Elijah what was he saying
what he was saying was he wanted to hold
on to the law he wanted to hold on to
the prophets and he wanted to hold on to
Jesus what did God the Father say from
heaven this is my beloved son listen to
him in other words God is replacing the
law and the prophets important as they
are they're being fulfilled in the
person of Jesus let me say again that
under the terms of the New Covenant we
have privileges that very few of the Old
Testament saying
experienced that is to say God lives in
us by his Spirit and through his spirit
working with our whole being motivates
and propels us to step out in obedience
to God and to become what he wants us to
be I so remember that one of the first
Bible promises the Lord led me to when
he first became real in my own life many
years ago in college the passage was
Isaiah chapter 30 the verse 20 and 21
and it reads like this although the Lord
gives you the bread of adversity in the
water of affliction had no idea back
then what that meant your teachers will
be hidden no more with your own eyes you
will see them whether you turn to the
right or to the left your ears will hear
a voice behind you saying this is the
way walk in it this is the way walk in
it I believe that points to the New
Covenant of when Christ comes to leaving
us by His Holy Spirit and he propels us
from the inside out giving us a new
heart to love God above all and to love
our neighbor as we love ourselves
Jeremiah chapter 31 the vs. 33 and 34
verses quoted a number of times in the
book of Hebrews similarly puts it into
words like this when he says this is the
Covenant that I will make with the house
of Israel after that time declares the
Lord now notice I will put my law in
there where minds and write it on their
hearts I will be their God and they will
be my people no longer will a man teach
his neighbor or a man his brother saying
know the Lord because they will all know
me from the least of them to the
greatest declares
the Lord let me say it again what marks
you and me as a new covenant believer is
a privilege that was shared only by
prophets priests and kings in the Old
Testament not by the average believer
the Holy Spirit comes to live within us
and through the mysterious workings of
the Holy Spirit compels strong word but
drives leads us into the things of God
and while many times in the Christian
life you and I you know we're just sort
of trucking along and and we make our
decisions hopefully we make them
prayerfully but not necessarily
overwhelmed by the sense of God's
presence we just do as best we know what
to do in a given situation I think you
would agree with me there are times in
your life where the Holy Spirit comes
along and you cannot get rid of him
isn't that true you get this conviction
that you must do things a certain thing
or not do a certain thing and you try to
pretend it isn't there but you're
compelled you're bound in the spirit a
lot of you you may remember the story
that I have previously told about the
time when I decided to buy my first car
it was my last year in college I was
living off-campus and I was getting to
that age where all of a sudden all my
friends were getting married have you
ever had that in your life you're just
all happily single and then all of a
sudden you know they started being
picked off one after the other and and
you say to yourself you know I better
get get get this show on the road
but I had no prospects and I had no car
and how are you gonna date when you
leave off-campus when you don't have a
car besides what woman wants you if you
don't have a car back in those days
right so I said I need a car
and I did so I in those days newspapers
still have classified ads that was
before Gigi and all this other online
stuff and auto traders and and I I found
this gorgeous 67 Oldsmobile for I think
$1700 I said that's my car
and I talked to him and I put money down
on it almost immediately knew in the
back of my mind the Holy Spirit was
going like this and I was saying this
doesn't sound very Reverend but I was
saying I don't care what you're saying
I'm saying this and so I I was
determined I was going to help my love
lifelong by getting this car and the
Lord was saying I'll show you who's boss
around here make a long story short for
the first time in our financial a
family's financial history I couldn't
get the money together to buy that car
the bank at school wouldn't pay for it
because I wasn't working and I told her
my father would pay for it and they said
no deal the bank back home wouldn't pay
for it because they said he's not in the
country and we're not gonna pay for his
car or his love life so there i sat lost
my down payment lost the car and I
remember being both relieved and unhappy
all at the same time because obviously
the Lord was bigger than I was and it
became one of those do you ever have
that where where afterwards you look
back and those kinds of things and you
say to yourself well maybe next time I
should listen to what the Holy Spirit is
trying to tell me it becomes a very
foundational lesson of Christian
discipleship now I won't go into the tub
but Earl the clock forward the
interesting thing is within a less than
a year I got both my car
and the girl that I have now been
married to as you heard last week for 46
years but that's a whole other story and
I won't tell you how that came to be you
compelled by this spirit is how the NIV
describes Paul situation here now here's
what I want us to note about this Paul's
decision to go to Jerusalem compelled by
the Holy Spirit motivates him even in
the face of objections by his friends
and his associates have you noticed in
the text in verse 20 and 23 he says I
only know that in every city the Holy
Spirit warns me that prison and
hardships are facing me now how does he
know this well clearly every place where
he goes there is a prophetic voice
coming forward that says to him Paul
you're going to get yourself into
trouble if you go to Jerusalem and the
clearest example of that follows in the
next chapter where we have a prophet
called Agra bus perhaps you remember
this story Paul now has completed his
journey or almost completed his journey
back to Jerusalem he's not quite there
yet but he is at at Caesarea he's back
in in the Land of Israel he's in
accesory is staying at the house of
Philip the Evangelist and the Bible says
a prophet by the name of Agra bus comes
down from Jerusalem and it's always come
down from Jerusalem because Jerusalem is
at a higher relevation
and here is what agamous says to Paul in
verse 10 and 11 of chapter 21 after we
had been there a number of days
named Agabus came down from Judea coming
over to us
he took Paul's belt tied his own hands
and feet with it and said the Holy
Spirit says in this way the Jews of
Jerusalem will bind the owner of this
belt and will hand him over to the
Gentiles
now notice he's not telling Paul not to
go but he is warning him about what's
going to happen to him now if you were
one of Paul's friends and associates how
would you interpret that prophetic word
you'd say Paul don't be an idiot don't
go and so the text goes on verse 12 13
and 14 when we heard this we and the
people there pleaded with Paul not to go
up to Jerusalem then Paul answered why
are you weeping and breaking my heart
I am ready not only to be bound but also
to die in Jerusalem for the name of the
Lord Jesus and when he would not be
dissuaded we gave up and said the Lord's
will be done
Paul was determined to go even when his
closest friends and closest associates
in the light of that prophetic warning
said to him Paul the Lord must be
telling you do not go and he says I'm
going anyway because I'm ready to die
for Jesus three quick lessons that come
out of that and then we'll be done for
this morning lesson number one sometimes
we just have to do what we have to do
sometimes when you're compelled by the
Holy Spirit you have to obey even if
people around you would disagree again
some of you've heard me tell the story
when I when I
in college we my friends and I ran into
a group of reorganized latter-day saints
that's a branch group of the Mormon
Church who experienced fantastic
spiritual encounters with God in fact
they were experiencing the very things
that we were seeking in the Lord and I
remember how big the struggle was in my
heart
what if what they're saying is true what
if what they're saying about the Book of
Mormon in the book of the Doctrine and
Covenants is true what and this was the
big question in my mind what will my
father think if I tell him I'm no longer
studying for the ministry in the
Christian Church but I'm going to be a
Mormon can you imagine that now it's a
long story how you know that all
unfolded and thank God I didn't have to
go in that direction but I remember
thinking would I do what the Lord wants
meet what I feel the Lord would want me
to do over the objections of people that
are closest to me because remember my
father had wanted to be a preacher
my mother had wanted to be a physician
my brother Hank who's just now retired
as a physician carried my mother's
calling in anointing and I believe that
I have called carried my father's
calling and unweighting so that was a
very difficult decision to make and I
want to be very careful in how I say
this because I know there are way too
many of God's people who in the name of
God excuse all kinds of idiotic and
crazy behavior the Lord told me when
half the time it was the bad pizza from
the night before that having been said
this story illustrates that there are
times in your life when you hear the
voice of God and God is inviting you to
step out
in obedience even sometimes over the
objections of those who are closest to
you don't abuse that don't think you're
smarter than everybody else and that you
don't need to listen to other people but
understand there are those times when
that call comes to your life and you
have to decide who are you going to
listen to but secondly to balance that
off we need to discern the motives of
those who disagree or those who oppose
whenever you step out to do the will of
God anybody who is in league with the
flesh the devil or the world sooner or
later will oppose what you want to do
and where you want to go that is the
nature of the Christian life sometimes
as I'll show you in a moment those will
be the closest people to you doesn't
mean you can just write them off it does
mean you need to discern what are the
reasons for the opposition and this
story is a fascinating study in that
because why our loop because he's part
of this group now his fellow co-workers
and the fellow believers here in Ephesus
so hung up on his going to Jerusalem is
it because they don't want him to obey
God of course not they're committed to
obeying God and they're committed for
Paul to obey God but you see their flesh
gets in the way their relationship is
getting in the way they love the man
they don't want to see him suffer they
don't want to see him go to prison they
don't want to see him be in trouble and
so the natural affections
to them Paul you've heard the prophetic
word God is giving you this prophetic
word so that you don't go don't be
foolish listen to what we're saying
right and Paul is saying I'm gonna go
anyway and what it illustrates is that
sometimes our opposition to obedience to
the Lord is most intense from those who
are closest to us and who love us the
most isn't that true you may recall the
Lord Jesus in Matthew's Gospel that goes
through a very similar experience with
with Peter Matthew chapter 16 we have
the Lord Jesus saying to his disciples
that he's going to go to Jerusalem and
he's going to be betrayed and and he's
going to die and and he's going to be
raised on the third day that
resurrection part they never heard
because they had no framework to put
that into and what did Peter do well he
took him aside according to Matthew 16
verse 22 and began to rebuke him never
Lord he said this shall never happen to
you remember Jesus as a response wasn't
very nice Jesus turned and said to Peter
get behind me Satan you are a stumbling
block to me you do not have in mind the
things of God but the things of men
sometimes your greatest opposition to do
the will of God in your life will come
from those who love you the dearest and
that's why Jesus says in Luke chapter 14
unless you hate father and mother and
brother and sister you cannot be my
disciple doesn't mean you cannot have
good relationships with your family
members but family members think they
own you think they control you they love
you they don't want to see you get hurt
and if the will of God is leading you
out of their ideas of safety their pain
is going to express itself and try to
discourage you I have a nephew his name
is Burt studied to be a lawyer became a
Crown attorney prosecutor in the
province of Pei had a great job making
good money when the Holy Spirit began to
stir in his and his wife's heart calling
them to the mission field with the
Wickliffe Bible Translators they've been
here most of you know who they are
Burton Wilma and I remember not only
their agony in coming to grips with this
but his father's agony in the decision
that they were working on making because
his son went from a great position with
a great income to having to be at the
mercy of faith givers and the
uncertainty of the future and I remember
how long it took for his father to even
remotely come to be at peace with that
decision we have to weigh the opposition
not all opposition comes out of the
flesh there may be opposition that comes
to you that says you know you're not
ready for this you're not mature enough
you don't have the character you don't
have a thousand and one reasons why what
you think the Lord is calling you to do
you may not be called to do and there's
a good place to be said for submitting
to the authority that got places over
here but you have to weigh it out is
this because I'm being loved and because
people want what's best for me in the
kingdom of God or is this happening as
it is in this particular story because
well we don't want to see you hurt we
don't want to lose you
and we don't want to to to be without
you and I make it any sense here we have
to weigh the cost on final point we must
release each other to the Lord
remember again how does the story end
when he that is Paul would not be
dissuaded that is to say he wouldn't
give up his plans to go to Jerusalem we
gave up and said the Lord's will be done
at the end of the day God is sovereign
and at the end of the day having done
what we can to persuade somebody about a
given course of action that comes a
place where we have to do hands off and
say I commend you to the Lord and I will
trust the Lord to look after you
whatever that looks like and that's not
only true when people are stepping out
in obedience to the Lord that's even
true when people willfully and
rebellious ly want to walk away from the
Lord because you recall in the story of
the prodigal son when the son said give
me the share of my inheritance the
father didn't stand there and try to
hold him back even though his heart was
breaking but he let him go
why because ultimately love has to be
freely chosen and cannot be forced
you've all heard the expression if you
love something set it free if it comes
back it's yours if not it was never
meant to be that takes faith that takes
faith for your children it takes faith
for your spouse that takes faith for
your friends that takes faith in the
context of Christian community
ultimately
the Lord's will be done and if people
are going to come back they're going to
come back because they choose to come
back of their own free wheel you cannot
force them even when they are in
rebellion sometimes they are led alone
when they step out in obedience to the
Lord when they step out in obedience to
the Lord you will discover again and
again that God is faithful and true and
that he provides for his own I believe
my nephew Burton his wife Wilma are
close to retiring from Wickliffe
translators now I'm not a hundred
percent sure of that but I can tell you
the Lord has faithfully sustained them
and their three children as they have
ministered for many years now
in the nation of Cameron Mike and
Marianne will give you the same kind of
testimony that's how the kingdom works
gotta leave it at that next week Lord
willing we'll come back to a second
point here I'll just very quickly
introduce it and then be done Paul wants
to finish well he goes on to say if only
I only know that in every city the Holy
Spirit warns me the prison and hardships
are facing me however I consider my life
worth nothing to me
if only I may finish the race complete
the task the Lord Jesus has given me the
task of testifying to the gospel of
God's grace won't get into it but notice
two things that finishing well means for
Paul finishing the race completing the
task and I leave you with this this
morning number 1 can you think back to
areas in your own life where you have
felt the Holy Spirit speak to you places
where maybe you were obedient maybe you
were not God is big enough to handle
both but think back to those moments
when you sense God speaking
and what kind of lessons did you learn
is he speaking anything to you today
about what it is that he's inviting you
to do if you're not sure what it is then
share it with somebody who is mature in
the Lord that can bounce it off you to
see if that's really the Lord or just
your own imagination and then ask
yourself the question what does running
the race look like and what is
completing my task look like Lord willin
we'll come back to that next week stand
with me let's close in prayer so much
Lord that you teach us from your word
and so much that we can learn from the
people that have gone before us and I
for one thank you for the Apostle Paul
his earnest desire as did Jesus before
him to set his face towards Jerusalem
and I pray Lord for my own life and for
the lives of all of us here that we may
finish well run the race complete our
task and be faithful to you not just in
good times but in bad times also help us
to listen to what you say through your
word what you say through your prophets
and also what you say through the Holy
Spirit and may we unified as one body
under the head of the Lord Jesus be your
hands and your feet proclaiming the good
news of Jesus and watching the kingdom
of God come with glory and with power
give us willing hearts o God we pray it
you