What Faithfulness Means For The Believer - Acts 20:24

One of the things I believe that is probably

on the mind and heart of many believers over

the last several weeks is the public, or the

repercussions we could say, or the consequences

of public witness in this world. Have you considered

over the last several weeks, or have you counted

the cost of what it may require of the church

and of believers to publicly bear witness to

the truth of the gospel? That's one thing that's

gone through my mind so many times. Am I willing

to suffer for the sake of the gospel and faithfulness?

Because it seems as though there's a shift taking

place in our world, in our culture, where on

one side there is, we could say, public capital

or societal capital to be affiliated with the

Church of Jesus Christ. There's capital involved

in that. There's benefit to that. But there's

a growing consistency on the other side. where

there's capital to be opposed to the church.

There's benefit to be against the church. So

the church of Jesus Christ in every age, in every

period, has to make up its mind. Is it willing

to suffer the repercussions and consequences

of public witness in this world. We see in the

Apostle Paul, this is something he has done and

he's had to do time and time again. He's had

to count the cost of faithfulness in his life.

Today we're going to consider what faithfulness

meant for the Apostle Paul. And our text will

be verse 24. We're going to consider what faithfulness

required of the Apostle Paul. But we're also

going to consider what was the motivating force

of Paul's faithfulness. What was the motivating

cause? What was it that compelled Paul? to this

willingness to suffer for the sake of faithfulness.

So first, we'll consider what faithfulness meant

for the Apostle Paul. Now, as we consider this,

we have to consider who it is we're thinking

about and what he was doing and the uniqueness

and how he was special, in a sense, because he

was an Apostle. Paul was, first, A Christian,

brothers and sisters. He was saved just like

believers today are saved. By faith in Christ.

Because the power of God was exerted in his life

and he was born again. He was granted faith and

repentance. He was saved and brought into the

kingdom just like every other believer is saved

and brought into the kingdom by the grace of

God. He was a Christian. But Paul was also an

apostle. And the apostles were unique to that

age and that period of time where we see it in

the book of Acts, brothers and sisters. So yes,

will his faithfulness look a little different

than our faithfulness? Absolutely. There's not

a mirror between Paul and us, and so what we

do exactly mirrors what he does. But we also

learn this from the Bible, that Paul is put forth

in the New Testament as a model Christian, as

an exemplar of the Christian faith, someone to

be imitated, someone to be followed. Someone

whose example we can look at and say, that's

what it means to be a Christian and I'm going

to be like him. He's put forward as a model believer.

But he's also put forward as a model minister.

And what it means to serve Christ. And what it

means to minister and serve the people of God.

So there's no doubt. Though we can look at the

Apostle Paul's faithfulness today. And we can

find applications and encouragements for our

own lives in our faithfulness. That's what we're

going to seek to do today. So what was faithfulness

for the Apostle Paul? Well, listen to verse 24.

But I do not consider my life of any account

as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course

and the ministry which I receive from the Lord

Jesus to testify solemnly of the gospel of the

grace of God. For Paul, faithfulness meant finishing

the course of his Christian life. He says in

verse 24, so that I may finish my course. Now

this is language and terminology that we see

used throughout the New Testament. It causes

the reader to think about an athletic or a sporting

event of the day. It's the idea of a race. It's

the idea of a competition. Paul wants his readers

to understand that his whole, or Luke wants his

readers to understand, I apologize, that Paul's

whole life was a course. It was a race. It was

his Christian life, brothers and sisters. It

wasn't just his spirituality and his piety and

his godliness. It was everything about his life.

Everything that it involved. Every aspect and

every part of it was involved in this race. It

involves discipline. It involves diligence. It

involves perseverance. It involves getting...

Outside of that which is comfortable and that

which is pleasurable for the sake of running

well. It involves his whole being, his whole

character. We find this same language in 1 Corinthians

9, 24 -27. And we also find it in 2 Timothy 4,

2 Timothy 4:7

verse 7, where Paul talks about having fought

the good fight of faith. When we think about

a race, it's something that you have to be engaged

in. It's something that you have to focus your

mental powers and you have to gather your physical

forces and your physical ability to be involved

in because you know that you have a task in front

of you. This is what Paul wants us to take away.

But a race, a course, is not indefinite. There's

a start, and there is an end to it. And Paul

knew this. He knew that his race was only so

long, and that it would come to an end one day,

and that following that race in his life, then

he would enjoy rest. Then he would enjoy leisure.

Then he would enjoy his time off, we could say.

Paul intended to run his race, and he intended

to finish well his Christian life. It was all

-consuming. He was completely and totally involved

in it. Every aspect of his life was brought under

the disciplinary hand of Paul. that he might

run well and not be disqualified. When we think

about Paul and his life as a race, it was intentional,

brothers and sisters. When we think about a large

majority of professing Christians today and the

Christian life and the end of their life and

the glory that is to come, Would we say that

the majority of those pursuing and seeking to

be faithful in the Christian life treat it as

though they have a specific task, a specific

goal, a specific thing that they're giving themselves

to, to bring glory to God? Or do they treat it

more like a theme park? Something that you enter

into. And you go over here and you... Have to

walk up the hill to go to the water slide. That

was a little hard. But I'm going because this

will be fun and I'm going to slide down. But

I'm going to go over here and take a respite

and grab a drink. I'll maybe lay down over here.

Take some time. Wander around. There's a certain

aimlessness and purposelessness. And it's all

about pleasure. Self. Paul did not treat his

life as a theme park, brothers and sisters. And

this is where we find immediate application to

every believer. This language is consistently

applied to every Christian throughout the Bible,

throughout the New Testament. Every single believer

has been given a course to run. To bring glory

to God. For Paul, faithfulness meant finishing

this course well. But it also meant finishing

the ministry that he had been given by the Lord

Jesus Christ. Notice that he says in verse 24,

that I may finish my course and the ministry.

And what does he say about this ministry? He

says, which I received from the Lord Jesus to

testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of

God. Paul's ministry was special and unique.

We read in Acts chapter 9, verses 15 through

Acts 9:15–16

16, a little bit about his unique and special

commission. As an apostle of Jesus Christ. In

Acts 9 verses 15 through 16 we read this. But

Acts 9:15–16

the Lord said to him. Go. For he is a chosen

instrument of mine. To bear my name before the

Gentiles. And the kings and kings. And the sons

of Israel. For I will show him how much he must

suffer for my namesake. This is where Ananias

is being sent to the apostle Paul. Paul's been

converted. And Ananias is a little bit concerned

because the apostle's a dangerous man. He knows

who Saul of Tarsus is. He's been going around

arresting Christians. He's been going around.

dragging off men and women who claim to be a

part of the way who know Christ. And this is

the man that Ananias is being sent to. And what

does the Lord Jesus say to compel, to encourage

Ananias? He is my chosen instrument. Meaning

I have handpicked him for this commission, for

this task, for this assignment, for this purpose.

So go to him. He's not the same anymore. He will

be willing to suffer for my sake in the future.

We read in Galatians chapter 1 of Paul's ministry

Galatians 1 · chapter mention

these words. Paul, an apostle, and here it is,

not sent from men. nor through the agency of

men, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father,

who raised him from the dead. So Paul has a unique

commission upon his life. One that the Lord Jesus

Christ has directly and personally given to him

and called him to. So there's no way that Paul

can be faithful in life if he is not faithful

to his calling as an apostle of Jesus Christ.

So for Paul, faithfulness means running this

race as a believer, but it also means being faithful

to the risen Lord Jesus Christ and the task that

he has given to him. As an apostle of Jesus Christ.

Now. Faithfulness also for Paul. Is to be a witness

of the gospel of the grace of God. He says this

in the latter part of verse 24. To testify solemnly

of the gospel of the grace of God. What is the

heart and the essence. Of Paul's. It is to bear

witness to the truth about Jesus Christ and the

grace of God that he himself has personally experienced.

He's a witness to that which he knows about,

that which he has seen, that which he has experienced

personally, and he has been tasked with proclaiming

that gospel to Jews and Gentiles. in this world,

brothers and sisters. So Paul, if he is to be

faithful, he has to run his race, he has to finish

his ministry, and he has to proclaim the gospel

of Jesus Christ. Notice this involves every area,

every part, and every aspect of the apostle's

life. We could say it's a well -rounded, whole

-life faithfulness. for the apostle. This is

what it involved for him. Now, in Paul's mind,

what does faithfulness require of him? This is

the second thing we have to consider. What does

faithfulness require of the apostle Paul? In

the context of this passage, this text, we know

because we touched on it last week and the week

before. It means going to Jerusalem and walking

into bonds and afflictions. We read this in verses

22 and 23. Bound by the Spirit, I am on my way

to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to

me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly

testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds

and afflictions await me. So in the immediate

context of this scripture, faithfulness requires

that the apostle... literally go to Jerusalem,

bring the gifts, proclaim the gospel, lose his

freedom, become a prisoner, and be led around

for a long time, but ultimately come to the place

where he proclaims the gospel in Rome, under

house arrest. So, it's obvious and clear. That

Paul is required by faithfulness to endure hardship

and trial if he wants to maintain fidelity to

Jesus Christ. But what about in a more general

way if we think about Paul and his ministry?

Well, just think about those three things that

are faithfulness for Paul. The race, the ministry,

and... Being a witness. If Paul's going to run

his race as a believer, does that require hardship?

Self -denial? Sacrifice? Is there a cost associated

with being faithful to Christ for the duration

of your life? Absolutely yes. What about for

Paul to fulfill his ministry as an apostle? Well,

we read in Acts chapter 9, What did the risen

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Lord say to Ananias? I will show him how much

he must suffer for my namesake. He's required

to submit himself willingly to hardship in order

to fulfill the ministry that Christ has entrusted

to him. What about bearing witness to the gospel

of grace? Why have the Jews So adamantly opposed

the Apostle Paul throughout the book of Acts.

Why does he have so many enemies? Why is there

people always plotting to kill him? Why is there

always people that want to stop him from what

he's doing? Because he's bearing witness to the

grace of God in the gospel. telling people that

the Messiah has come. He's bearing witness to

the truth that the Jews killed the Messiah. And

that if people want to have eternal life, they

have to trust in Jesus Christ, whom they crucified.

Therefore, he has enemies. It required great

endurance and diligence and perseverance on his

part. because affliction was commonplace as a

witness for the gospel of the grace of God. We

can think about several different passages. If

we go to 2 Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23

2 Corinthians 11:23–28

-28, Paul lists many of his afflictions. that

he willingly endured, 2 Corinthians 11, 23 -28.

Are they servants of Christ? I speak as if in

sin. I more so. In far more labors, in far more

imprisonments, beaten times without number, often

in danger of death, Five times I received from

the Jews 39 lashes. Three times I was beaten

with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was

shipwrecked. A night and a day I have spent in

the deep. I have been in frequent... journeys

and dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers,

dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the

Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the

wilderness, dangers in the sea, dangers among

false brethren. I have been in labor and hardship

through many sleepless nights, and hunger and

thirst, often without food, and cold and exposure.

Apart from such external things, There is the

daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches.

What was required of the Apostle Paul in order

that he might be faithful to Jesus Christ? That

he endure hardship, brothers and sisters. He

refers to, in other places, The fact that he

is like a drink offering being poured out on

the sacrifice and service of others' faith. He's

a drink offering that's being sacrificed to God

for others. And he willingly does this. So in

a more general way, Paul certainly believed and

taught that faithfulness always comes with...

A cost. In fact. For Paul. His faithfulness.

Depends. On his willingness. To sacrifice. For

the gospel. If he is unwilling. To sacrifice.

Then he cannot be faithful. To the risen Lord

Jesus Christ. Listen to what he says in the first

half of verse 24 in Acts 20. But I do not consider

my life of any account as dear to myself, so

that, so that, brothers and sisters, why does

Paul hold his life lightly? that he might finish

his race, his ministry, and that he might bear

witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was

necessary for him in order that he might be faithful

to the risen Lord Jesus Christ. Faithfulness

always comes with a cost. That's not just something

that's true for the Apostle Paul. We come to

this text, and I think the modern believer has

a little bit of difficulty with it. Honestly,

you can't tell me that Jesus Christ expects me

to be willing to die for him. He died for me.

Honestly, you can't expect me to be willing to

give up everything for the gospel. Isn't that

radical? Isn't that a little bit crazy? Isn't

that a little bit fundamentalist thinking? Require

all of you? Does Christ require everything of

a sinner when he saves them? Is that radical?

Is that crazy? Brothers and sisters, this is

not something that was simply true of the Apostle

Paul. This is true of the believer in every day

and every age. that has been purchased by the

blood of Jesus Christ, is required to give everything

to Jesus Christ. Their heart, their mind, their

soul, their belongings, their time, their money,

their family, their friends, their attitudes,

their will, their affections, everything. He

did not die just to get your heart, brothers

and sisters. Jesus Christ died for all of you

and all of your life. And he did in fact purchase

all of you and all of your life if he has died

for you. Every Christian of all time is required

to give everything to Christ. This is a Christian

paradigm, pattern, and principle. One of the

reasons I think we have so much difficulty with

it is because that's such a foreign idea for

us in our nation. The fact that we would have

to give up and sacrifice certain things. There's

many people all around the world, brothers and

sisters, even to this day, that willingly give

their lives because they refuse to deny Jesus

Christ as Lord and Savior. There are fathers

who are martyred in front of their families.

And there are families that are martyred in front

of their fathers. Why? Because they won't recount

that Jesus Christ is in fact Lord. In the modern

world. Just not here. This is not radical. This

is basic Christianity, brothers and sisters.

That when Jesus Christ died for you, he purchased

all of you, and he requires all of you. Isn't

this what the Lord himself taught in Matthew

Matthew 16 · chapter mention

chapter 16? In Matthew 16, the Lord Jesus says

this. Then Jesus said to his disciples, If anyone

wishes to come after me, he must deny himself

and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever

wishes to save his life will lose it. But whoever

loses his life for my sake will find it. For

what will profit a man if he gains the whole

world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man

give in exchange for a soul? For the Son of Man

is going to come in the glory of his Father with

his angels, and will then repay every man according

to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some

of those who are standing here who will not taste

death until they see the Son of Man coming in

his kingdom. True followers of Christ are always

brought to a place of self -denial and sacrifice

on behalf of faithfulness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

Every single time. Does your Christianity cost

you? What does your faith require of you? Does

it force you to give up certain things? Does

the Spirit of God dwelling within you bring conviction

into your life and say, that's wrong? You can't

live like that. You're not allowed to be like

that. you forced to deal with issues in your

heart and in your mind and in your life? Are

you ever brought to a place where there's humility

and shame that you willingly embrace in order

to be faithful to Christ? What does your Christianity

cost you, brother, or you, sister? Because true

Christianity is always costly. Following Christ

is always It's as though you come to faithfulness.

And faithfulness says, if you want me, pay up.

Give me that. Get rid of that. You're not allowed

to do that. You can't have that, but you can

have me. And you can have Christ. You can have

the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ

in greater measure, in greater degree. You can

know God in all His fullness in greater measure,

in greater degree. You can be more encouraged.

You can have more joy. You can have greater peace

in your soul. But give that up. You see, the

problem, brothers and sisters, is that we live

in a context of the world, the flesh, and the

devil. That is why faithfulness will always be

costly. Because we live in a world of unbelievers.

We live in a world of men who don't understand

Christianity. They don't know Christianity. And

they can't receive Christianity unless God saves

them. We are the light walking in darkness. And

we are walking among dead men. Dead men don't

want to hear the truth. So there will always

be hardship associated with it. We are people,

brothers and sisters, that dwell in the context

of the flesh and corruption, our own and that

of others. Our flesh does not want to let go

of certain sinful tendencies, but You, as those

being made in the likeness and image of Christ

in the inner man, long for righteousness and

holiness. There's something that's propelling

you to that which is good and that which is godly,

but there's part of you that is clinging to that

which you ought not to be. What does that require

if you are to lay hold of that which is faithful

and good? To let go. To give up, to sacrifice,

to mortify. Faithfulness is costly. But it's

also costly because we have a real enemy that

hates faithful Christians. We have a real enemy

who's out to get faithful believers. To bring

a stain upon the name of Jesus Christ. To bring

you down or to puff you up. That's what the enemy

wants to do. He wants you to fall into the trap

of being so despairing or so arrogant. And he

will take any road that he can get there. He

will do anything that he can to bring you to

those points. We have an enemy that does not

want us to be faithful. Therefore, it will cost

the Christian to be. Isn't this what Romans 12

teaches us? That we are to be living sacrifices?

That we are to constantly be giving all of ourselves

to Christ because of the work that He has accomplished

in our lives? Faithfulness always requires A

cost. Now this brings us to the last thing we

have to consider. What motivated the apostle

in his willingness to sacrifice for the sake

of faithfulness? And this is really where the

rubber meets the road for us, isn't it, brothers

and sisters? Every born -again believer in this

room wants to be more faithful. I know you do.

Because that is true of every single person who

has tasted of the grace of God. Every single

person who has the Spirit of God's one within

you, he gives them a desire for holiness. He

is the Holy Spirit of God. So every true born

-again believer in here has a desire for greater

faithfulness. So what is it, brothers and sisters,

that compels us, that drives us, that motivates

us to faithfulness? Faithfulness isn't what produces

faithfulness. There's something underneath faithfulness

that gives us a willingness and a desire to be

faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. So what is

it? If you can figure out what that is, if we

can figure out what that is, then you can grow

in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus

Christ. If you can figure out how to be and what

it is that causes you to be more faithful and

to grow and desire to grow in your Christianity

and your faith. And brothers and sisters, you

can run wild in the grace of God and seeking

out Christ. You can grow and be godly, mature,

holy Christians and bring more and more glory

and more and more honor to Christ. So what is

it? We see that something in verse 24 is bringing

Paul to a point. Where he is able to say, I do

not consider my life of any account as dear to

myself. What is it that compels and enables Paul

to be able to say that? Well, this motivation

begins by knowing, brothers and sisters, that

Jesus Christ died to purchase you. And your life.

Listen to what Paul says. A little bit later

in verse 20. In chapter 20. He says this. Be

on guard for yourselves. And for all the flock.

Among which the Holy Spirit. Has made you overseers.

To shepherd the church of God. Which he purchased.

With his own blood. Christ has purchased the

church with his own blood. He has purchased uniquely

and distinctly the people of God. The church

is not its own. The hope of the believer in the

church is in fact that they are not their own.

That means that if... Christ has purchased you.

You are not your own in this life, but it also

means that you are not your own, but you belong

wholly unto the Lord Jesus Christ in life and

in death. You are His possession. You belong

to Him. And He is a good Lord, and He is a good

Master, and He has good things in store for you

in this life. but He also has greater things

in store for you in the next and the age to come.

So we have to start with the fact that Christ

died to purchase sinners and their whole life.

It requires that a person not just know that

Christ has died and purchased them on the cross.

But brothers and sisters, it requires that a

person personally experience the power of God,

the grace of God to change them and transform

them. This is why we read in 1 Corinthians 15

about Paul and the Lord Jesus revealing himself

last of all to Paul and that the grace of God

has changed him and it is by the grace of God

that he is what he is. and that the grace of

God with him did not prove vain, but he worked

more than all the others. You have to experience

the grace of God personally by being transformed

by the Spirit of God if you are ever to be faithful

unto Christ. One of the primary reasons that

professing believers struggle with faithfulness,

and the reason that they are unfaithful is because

they've never known the grace of God. They're

living moral lives, good lives. They're riding

the wave of tradition and family faith. For they've

never tasted of the grace of God themselves and

their own souls. Morality is insufficient for

faithfulness, brothers and sisters. Legalism

is insufficient for faithfulness. You have to

taste of the grace of God yourself and be made

a new creature in Christ if you are ever to truly

and genuinely and sincerely from the heart Glorify

God and enjoy Him. So it requires that God Himself

change you supernaturally by the Spirit of God.

Have you been changed by the power of God? Have

you been transformed by the grace of God? Do

you have a true and a genuine and a sincere desire

to bring glory to Christ and to exalt the name

of Christ? Do you have a desire for Christ and

His purposes to succeed and prevail in this world?

Do you have a desire to worship the living God

that only comes by tasting of the Spirit of God

personally yourself and coming to a place Where

you see your own sin and you turn from your sin

and you trust in Christ and Christ alone. There's

many today who attend church, who use the name

of Christ, who say they're a Christian, but they

don't know the glorious gospel of grace. You

must know it personally. You must be in a saving

union with Jesus Christ. And being dwelt by the

spirit of God. If you are ever. To walk in faithfulness.

To the Lord Jesus Christ. Now. This motivation

and desire. Is cultivated. In a believer's life.

Somebody who has been transformed. It is cultivated.

By continually. And increasingly. Setting your

heart's affection supremely upon Jesus Christ.

We read in Philippians. We'll go ahead and turn

there. Philippians 3. This is where Paul is talking

about the goal of life as a believer. He goes

through and lists all these things that were

true of him. Before he knew Christ. And here's

what he says. But whatever things were gained

to me, those things I have counted as loss for

the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all

things to be loss in view of the surpassing value

of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, for whom I

have suffered the loss of all things and count

them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ and

may be found in Him not having a righteousness

of my own derived from the law, but that which

is through faith in Christ, the righteousness

which comes from God on the basis of faith, that

I may know Him and the power of His resurrection

and the fellowship of His sufferings. Being conformed

to his death in order that I may attain to the

resurrection from the dead. What is it that compelled

Paul to let go of everything else? Brothers and

sisters, what is it that compelled Paul and drove

Paul to say everything is lost? It is personal,

experiential communion and fellowship with Jesus

Christ. That is the only thing that will compel

a person to willingly suffer and willingly give

up for Jesus Christ. It is to know Him by faith.

Head knowledge won't do for this task, brothers

and sisters. This has got to make its way down

into your heart. You can know Christ as you can

know a person sitting next to you. You have to

do away with the theories and you have to do

away with the conceptual Christianity and seek

Him as a person. And have fellowship with Him

as a man on the throne of God. You have to know

Him better. Know Him in greater ways. And that

has to increasingly grow. must be supreme in

your heart and in your life. And as that supremacy

settles in and grows in your soul, what happens?

The glory and greatness of Christ begins to outweigh

everything else in your life. The glory and greatness

of Christ, as your heart's affections are set

upon Him, begin to eclipse every other affection

of your heart. All your desires are consumed

by His greatness. All your longings are consumed

by His person and His being, brothers and sisters.

This is the only way that a person will ever

be compelled to willingly embrace the race, the

ministry, and being faithful to Christ in all

things. This is the only way that a person is

compelled to willingly sacrifice for Jesus Christ.

You must love him above everything else in your

heart and in your life. If other things are the

supreme object, that thing will inform how you

relate to Christ in Christianity. Now, earlier

we read from Matthew and Christ's call to disciples

to die to themselves and the fact that they would

have to have self -denial as a result of being

a true disciple. And that being a true disciple

always leads to self -denial. But I want us to

read Luke chapter 14, verse 26 as well. In Luke

Luke 14:26

14, we'll read verses 25 through 27. Now, large

crowds were going along with him. And he turned

and said to them. So that's the context of Luke

14. Large crowds. Lots of professing disciples

are following Christ. Christ had many disciples

who loved to get fed by his miracles. Christ

had many disciples who loved to get from Christ.

Christ had many disciples who loved to receive

and loved to see what he could do. But he didn't

have as many disciples who were willing to leave

their homes. willing to give up everything they've

ever known to follow him. Here's what he says.

If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own

father and mother and wife and children and brothers

and sisters, yes, even his own life, he cannot

be my disciple. Those are strong words, aren't

they, brothers and sisters? Now, is Christ saying

that you have to literally hate your relatives?

No, he's using hyperbole. And what is he trying

to convey in this hyperbole? Using this grandiose

language. He's trying to convey the fact that

love for Christ must be superior and supreme

and inform and overwhelm every other love in

your life. Our love for Christ must direct and

dictate every other love in our life. Brothers

and sisters, I love you. I love the people of

our church. I love my brothers and sisters in

Christ. I love my family. I love my dear wife.

I love my... But I love Jesus Christ more than

I love you. I love Jesus Christ more than I love

my family. And the day that that is called into

question will be a sad day for me. That's the

meaning of being a true disciple. That our heart's

affection are supremely set upon Christ, His

person, His will, and all that He requires of

us, and everything else is filled in as a result

of that. I cannot love you or my wife or my children

more than I love Christ, because then my love

for Him would be informed by that love. The same

must be true of every single person in this sanctuary

if they are to be a true and genuine disciple

of Jesus Christ. This and this alone, brothers

and sisters, results inevitably in a willingness

to suffer for the sake of faithfulness. So if

you, as Grace Fellowship Church, want to cultivate

and nurture faithfulness in your life, what do

you need to do? You need to cultivate love for

the person and the work of Jesus Christ. You

need to fill your mind with the scriptures that

speak of Christ and teach about Christ and his

work. You need to nurture your heart in the grace

of God. You need fresh views and fresh glimpses

of Christ that the Spirit of God would bless

that faith and grow you through that faith. You

need to come to a point where you love Jesus

Christ more than everything else in your life.

If we want to love Christ, if we want to love...

and be faithful to Christ, brothers and sisters.

We must cultivate and nurture love for Christ

in our hearts and let that order everything else

in our lives. So we've seen what faithfulness

meant for Paul. We've seen what faithfulness

required. And that faithfulness still requires

a cost for believers. But we've also seen, brothers

and sisters, a glorious reality that when a person

comes to know Christ truly and genuinely and

they come to love His grace and have Him supremely

in their heart, that they will be willing to

do anything Christ says because of their love

for Him.