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Long Sermons and Loving Shepherds

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 20
Meditation: Acts 20:7 & 11

Paul was preaching, and since he was leaving the next day, he kept talking until midnight…Paul continued talking until dawn, then he left.

Shift Your Focus… Few aspects of the preacher’s preaching are more prominently discussed than the length of his sermons. In seminary, we’re taught how to “get ‘er done” in fifteen minutes or so, twenty minutes at the most, and violating that rule of thumb was a good indication that your preparation had been sloppy. A friend of my says if you want to preach a twenty-minute sermon, prepare twenty hours; a forty-minute message will take you ten hours of prep time, and an hour-long sermon means you’ve spent about twenty minutes preparing.

Paul, the greatest theologian in the New Testament, perhaps in human history, preached so long on one occasion that a young man named Eutychus fell asleep while sitting on a window sill and fell three stories to his death. Amazingly, that didn’t put a damper on the service. Paul, without skipping a beat, went downstairs, healed the man, then came back upstairs and talked from midnight until dawn. Paul had something to say, and he wasn’t about to let anything get in the way.

Of course, it is not the length of the sermon that makes it good or bad, it is the content of the message, along with the passion of the preacher and his or her shepherd’s heart from which the sermon flows that makes it effective or not. If you read this entire passage in Acts 20, you get some great insights into the heart of Paul, the long-winded preacher:

  • Paul was full of faith and confidence in the Lord—“don’t worry, he’s alive…and the young man was taken home unhurt.” (Acts 20:11-12)
  • Paul earned people’s respect through his suffering for the Gospel—“I have endured the trials that came to me…” (Acts 20:19)
  • Paul was fearless in his preaching—“I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear.” (Acts 20:20)
  • Paul was Christ-centered and cross-focused—“I have had one message…repent from sin and turn to God…the work of telling others the Good news about the wonderful grace of God.” (Acts 20:21 & 24)
  • Paul was purpose driven—“My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work the Lord Jesus assigned to me.” (Acts 20:24)
  • Paul was faithful to God—“I declare today that I have been faithful.” (Acts 20:26)
  • Paul passionately protected his flock from danger—“Guard God’s people and feed and shepherd God’s flock…watch out…” (Acts 20:28 & 31)
  • Paul was pure in his motives—“I have never coveted anyone’s silver or gold or fine clothes…I have worked with my own hands to supply my own needs.” (Acts 20:33-34)
  • Paul practiced what he preached—“I have been a constant example…” (Acts 20:35)
  • Paul was selfless—“I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard.” (Acts 20:35)

It’s no wonder that when Paul had finished speaking and was getting ready to leave, “they all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye.” (Acts 20:37)

“How long is the perfect sermon?” you wonder. When the preacher exhibits the same qualities that we see in Paul, his sermon can be as long as it takes!

 “I preach as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.” ~Richard Baxter

Prayer… Bless our preachers!  Father, give them a mind that is passionate for the truth of your Word, a heart that overflows with love for their flock, and a special connection with you.  And give us a great love for them, a quicker response to their leadership, and words that encourage them in the important work that you have called them to do.

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Repentance: Inward Yet Outward

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 19
Meditation: Acts 19:18-19

And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.

Shift Your Focus… Powerful signs and great wonders attended Paul’s extended ministry in Ephesus. (Acts19:11-12) Even when Paul’s handkerchief was placed on sick people, they were healed. And the demonized were set free in dramatic fashion.

As you might imagine with such a demonstration of Kingdom power, a great number of people in this major city of Asia Minor came to know Jesus Christ. The number of converts was so large in fact that it began to affect the thriving idol making industry in Ephesus—which didn’t make the idol makers all too happy. (Acts 19:25-27)

One group of these Ephesians who turned to Christ were those who practiced sorcery. We are told that there was such strong conviction they brought their incantation books and publicly burned them. Someone at the scene figured out the total value of the books and placed it at fifty thousand pieces of silver—a figure by today’s worth that would be in the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars.

Now that’s repentance! When those who come to Christ are willing to put their livelihoods on the line and burn the tools of their trade, you know that real inner transformation has taken place. These sorcerers had experienced a true change of heart, mind and behavior.

And that is what Biblical repentance is all about. It is not just feeling bad over wrongdoing. It is not feeling embarrassed that you have been caught, or fear that you might. It is not just saying, “I’m sorry.” It is a literal 180-degree change in thinking and acting. The Greek word for repentance means exactly that: Change.

Keep that in mind the next time you are under the conviction of the Holy Spirit. When repentance is in order for a wrong attitude, hurtful words, destructive behavior, or just plain old sin, Biblical repentance calls you to completely turn from it in heart, mind and behavior. That’s true repentance.

True repentance is the beginning of the Good News (Mark 1:15).  True repentance is the best path to the blessed life. True repentance is the thing that moves the Father to pour out his loving kindness upon us. And that is the beauty of true repentance.

“Wherever there is a pulverized and penitent heart, there grace also is, and wherever there is a voluntary confession not gained by pressure, there love covereth a multitude of sins.” ~Menno Simons 

Prayer… Lord, search my heart and bring to light any sin that I have committed. Here and now I commit to repenting of anything that stands in the way of my love and obedience to you.

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Don’t Mistake Spiritual Gifts For Christian Maturity

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 18
Meditation: Acts 18:24-26

Now a certain Jew named Apollos, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

Shift Your Focus… I was in a conversation recently with a young spiritual leader who is unusually gifted. His public ministry is well received by the congregation he serves, and at least a few people are ready to “make him king by force”; they would anoint him with a high level of spiritual authority before his time.

That would be a tragic mistake for this young man. He is extremely talented, bright and likeable, and his spiritual gifting is unquestionable. He just needs seasoning in the Lord, and in spiritual leadership. And all of that takes time and intentionality.  Fortunately, this young leader has the wisdom to understands that, and because he does, he is well on his way to a long run of outstanding ministry.

Christians often make the mistake of assuming gifts, talents and a winsome personality equals spiritual maturity and Christian character. They do not. Gifts, talents and personality can take you to places, but only your character can keep you there, and only your maturity enables effectiveness over the long haul.

I have seen more than a few young ministers, up-and-coming leaders and high profile converts greatly hampered, if not spiritually ruined, because they were placed too quickly in high places of ministry.  I think that’s why Paul advised Timothy when he was establishing leadership in the Ephesians church to “not lay hands suddenly” on unproven leaders.  That’s why the seasoned ministry team of Priscilla and Aquila pulled the talented and gifted Apollos aside and explained to him the way of God more fully.

Be careful with what you confer upon unseasoned Christians. Encourage them, applaud them, challenge them, and give them increasing responsibility, but don’t ruin them by giving too much, too soon.

Just as you don’t get holy in a hurry, they won’t gain maturity in a month.

“We are so subnormal that if we came up to normal, the world would think we were abnormal.” ~Vance Havner

Prayer… Lord, help me to look at people as you do, not by outward appearance but by the maturity of their character and the content of their heart.

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A Risky But Respectful Witness

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 17
Meditation: Acts 17:6

“These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.”

Shift Your Focus… Someone once quipped, “if you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” That is a great question, really.  And convicting!

In Paul’s case, he was guilty as charged. Everywhere he went—Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens—the proclamation of his faith stirred things up and got him into a fair amount of trouble. Of course, in each of those places his preaching brought conviction, and many people placed their faith in Jesus, but it also made a few people mad; mad enough to have Paul beaten, imprisoned, dragged into court, disparaged and run out of town on a rail.

Now keep in mind that Paul didn’t set out to be irritating to people. Wherever he went, he was respectful—something modern day Christians should thoughtfully consider. He didn’t disparage the local gods. He didn’t trash their way of life.  Rather, the text tells us that, “he reasoned with them.” (Acts 17:2) He just respectfully shared with them the truth of the Gospel and the reason for his hope. It was Paul’s witness, not his weirdness that earned him the charge of “turning the world upside down.”

It is probably not likely, if you are like me, that this charge has been brought against you. That’s too bad, isn’t it? It is too bad our reasonable and respectful witness hasn’t turned our respective worlds upside down. On the one hand, it is too bad that we are so afraid of making people uncomfortable or not being liked that we shy away from seizing the opportunity to tell people the only story in the world that will change their eternal destiny. On the other hand, it is too bad some believers feel as if they have to yell and argue and demean the “local gods”—our politicians and our culture.

Whether it is spiritual shyness or spiritual obnoxiousness, perhaps we can change that track record today. If we are open to the prompting of the Holy Spirit, he will make sure we have opportunity to share our faith with a spiritual seeker today. He will make sure that we have just the right words to say, and he will also make sure that their hearts have been prepared to hear our message.

They may or may not receive our words, but that’s not our call. Our call is simply to share in reasonable and respectful ways. The Holy Spirit will work on the hearts of our listeners. But as we are faithful to persistently declare God’s Good News, one thing will be sure: We will turn somebody’s world upside down.

And if that can be said of you, “those who have turned the world upside down have come here too,” I would wear that as a badge of honor!

“Jesus Christ did not say, ‘Go into the world and tell the world that it is quite right.’” ~C.S. Lewis 

Prayer… Lord, may my faith get me into a little trouble today.

 

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Some Things Only Suffering Produces

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 16
Meditation: Acts 16:25

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Shift Your Focus… Bible teacher and author Warren Wiersby wrote about his recovery from a serious automobile accident. In the hospital, he began receiving letters of encouragement from a man he’d never met, and his own recovery was greatly aided by this man’s inspiration.

Later, when he met the man, he was shocked to find a blind, severely diabetic, amputee who lived with and cared for his elderly mother. And the man shared Christ in his spare time as a motivational speaker! He turned his disadvantages to his advantage, and his courage, determination and joy greatly inspired others to do the same!

I’ll bet you’ve got some disadvantages of your own. Perhaps not as dramatic as this man’s physical challenges, or dramatic as Paul’s imprisonment here in the city of Philippi. Or maybe they are.

Here is my question for you: Is there any reason why you can’t allow your difficulties to be used as opportunities to show forth the glory of God? People are watching you, after all. Just as the other prisoners were listening to Paul and Silas sing hymns to God in spite of the beating they had just received, people are watching how you go through your challenges as well. And the truth is, you have no greater opportunity to make an impact on others than by allowing your suffering to be redemptive.

If you are interested in redeeming your sufferings, as weird as that may sound, here is how you can you do that:

Begin by identifying the negatives in your life right now. Write them down on a piece of paper—things like physical limitations, financial challenges, a hard marriage, singleness, hostile work environment.

Next, thank God for each one of them. Famed Scottish theologian and hymn-writer George Matheson once prayed,

“My God, I have never thanked Thee for my thorns. I have thanked Thee a thousand times for my roses, but not once for my thorns. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross: but I have never thought of my cross as itself a present glory. Teach me the glory of my cross: teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to Thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.”

By the way, Matheson went totally blind when he was 20. If a young man who lost his sight in the prime of his life can thank God for it, you can practice gratitude for the stuff you are going through.

Finally, determine to take advantage of your disadvantages to talk about Jesus this week. Here’s the thing: Whatever negative circumstances you are facing, this may be your finest hour.

Back in World War II, Adolph Hitler’s army had demolished the European allies, and only the British military remained to stand against the advancing Nazi’s. But Britain was on the brink of defeat as well, when Winston Churchill, the great Prime Minister stood before Parliament and declared, “Let us brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire…last for a thousand years, men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour.’”

My prayer is that whatever your challenges, the people who are watching you will be able to say, “this was your finest hour.”

“God made [Joseph] fruitful in the very things that afflicted him. In the land of your affliction, in your battle, is the place where God will make you fruitful. Consider, even now, the area of greatest affliction in your life.  In that area, God will make you fruitful in such a way that your heart will be fully satisfied, and God’s heart fully glorified. God has not promised to keep us from valleys and sufferings, but to make us fruitful in them.” ~Francis Frangipane

Prayer… Lord, help me to see each and every difficulty as an open door to bring glory and praise to you.

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The Leader’s Priority Focus: Your Holiness, Not Your Happiness

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 15
Meditation: Acts 15:6-7,20

Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had been much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: “…we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.”

Shift Your Focus… This was the church’s first big doctrinal brouhaha. At issue was whether Gentile converts to Christ should observe Jewish laws and customs—in this case, circumcision—to be saved. Emotions were on edge, sides were chosen, and this issue was ready to blow the young church apart.

Wisely, the matter was taken to the church leaders in Jerusalem to be settled. Because there were such strong feelings about this issue on both sides of the argument, whatever decision the apostolic leaders made was likely to cause unhappiness with a whole faction of church folk.

After much debate, the leaders issued their decision, reaffirming that salvation was by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone, and not by works of righteousness, including works done through Jewish laws and customs. All they ask of the Gentile converts was that where the letter of Jewish law called for personal holiness, they honor the spirit of the law so that the same kind of God-honoring holiness would result. (See Acts 15:20-21)

Now apart from the historic decision produced at this first Jerusalem Council, there is something highly instructive we learn here about effective and God-pleasing church leadership. From Peter, James and the others, we can clearly see that the call of God upon church leaders is not to keep us happy; it is to make us holy.

There is not a one of us who doesn’t hope that we get leaders who please us and do what we want. That is not a bad thing so long as it takes a back seat to the permission we give them to lead us into a life of holiness, obedience and service unto the Lord. Happiness and holiness are not mutually exclusive, yet most of the time, true and lasting happiness only results out of and after the forging of holiness in our lives. Happiness that comes before holiness is mostly short-lived, and in fact, often becomes a barrier to growth in holiness.

What expectations do you have of your spiritual leader? Think about it. Do you put the highest premium on his or her contribution to your personal happiness? Do you want them to make you more comfortable in your faith journey? Are you hoping they lead in a way that satisfies your preferences?

Or, above all else, have you given them permission—have you demanded—that they lead in such a way that holiness in forged in your life?

I think we all know the better use of a spiritual leader.

 “We need a baptism of clear seeing. We desperately need seers who can see through the mist—Christian leaders with prophetic vision. Unless they come soon it will be too late for this generation. And if they do come we will no doubt crucify a few of them in the name of our worldly orthodoxy.”  ~A.W. Tozer

Prayer… Lord, there is only one thing I want more than to be happy, and that is to be pure.  Bring people into my life that will challenge me to growth in my personal holiness.

 

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Congratulations—You Will Suffer!

 

5×5×5 Bible Plan

Read: Acts 14
Meditation: Acts 14:22

Paul and Barnabas strengthened the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.

Shift Your Focus… Now there’s a great recruitment campaign for Christianity, wouldn’t you say! “Just accept Christ as your Lord and Savior, and after you go through a bunch of trials and tribulations, then you can enter the kingdom of God!”

You sure don’t hear that dose of reality theology preached much these days—unfortunately. Far too often, spiritual leaders feel like they have to sugarcoat the gospel to get people’s buy-in. Converts are led to believe that if they just give their lives to Jesus, he will most certainly make them healthy, wealthy and wise. In modern day Christianity, following Christ is equated with happiness, success and comfort. It is now quite common for America’s most popular pulpiteers to spout a message of easy believism while their high profile churches traffic in what amounts to nothing more than cheap grace.

Make no mistake—nothing is further from the theology of the New Testament. The Gospel makes no such claims to an easy Christianity. In fact, what the Bible does claim is that following Christ will be costly, painful, and difficult. However, it also promises that whatever pain our faith leads us into now will be miniscule by comparison to the deep satisfaction of intimately walking with Jesus, the enduring significance of being used by God, and the incomparable satisfaction of possessing eternal life.

In no way is Paul trying to minimize suffering. He is not saying that pain is no big deal. He is not suggesting that when we go through a trial, we should just buck up and get over it. Paul himself understood like few others the high cost of what it meant to suffer for Christ. Don’t forget that just a few verses prior to this one, we read that Paul was stoned and left for dead for ministering in Christ’s name. He is speaking here with the authority of one who has humbly suffered for Jesus.

What Paul and Barnabas, as well as Peter, John and the other New Testament writers want us to know is that when we accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, we become strangers and pilgrims in a world hostile to the kingdom values by which we live. That hostility will at times produce great tribulation for us. But when such tribulation strikes, we must allow it to remind us that a better kingdom awaits. As Paul would later say to the Christians in Corinth,

“For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.” (II Corinthians 4:17-19)

So get ready. Some tribulation is coming—if it hasn’t already. But that tribulation is just a holy reminder that far better things are ahead.

“If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.” ~C.S. Lewis

Prayer… Lord, toughen me for the battles I must fight before I enter your eternal kingdom. Let them remind me that I was made for a better world.