The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on 4th October 2009 by Robin Hawkins
"All For Jesus"
Reading: Acts 20:17-38
"Lord, what do you want to say to us this Sunday?" That's the question I always put to the Lord when I'm due to preach. What I think He wants to do this morning is to help us all get a right perspective on life. Do you think Paul's was a right perspective when he said: "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."?
What does that say about Paul's value system? What does it say about mine? I don't know about you, but I can't read something like this without asking myself the same question, "Do I consider my life to be worth nothing, as long as I can finish the job to which the Lord Jesus has called me? Getting the job done. Is that the most important thing in our lives? Or are there other things more important to us? Do you know what He's called you to do? It should be our No. 1 priority to find out what task Jesus has for each one of us. That bit's relatively easy. Carrying it out faithfully is another challenge altogether! Keeping on going and not giving up, until our task is finished is something for which we'll need to depend on Jesus for His grace - in abundance!
Paul's in no doubt of his priorities. The one thing that consumes him is serving Jesus. He's saying he doesn't want anything else in life. What about us? I got a bit concerned a while back listening to a discussion group in which we were talking about our priorities in life. Was it really to seek the KOG first? My concern was that this appeared to be the last thing on anyone's mind. As we went round the room, people were saying how they wanted to get a nice girlfriend/boyfriend; how they wanted to build a good career, and earn lots of money, and so on! - All the things the world seeks after! There was need of much grace in that room to change a few hearts and attitudes!
There's no doubt Paul had found this grace, but have we learnt to lay hold of it? I was talking two weeks ago about how it's God who does the changing of our hearts. I was discipled as a young man listening to talks about the cost of discipleship, the need to surrender all to Jesus, and to live my life for Him alone. It was a powerful influence, but I don't recall hearing much about God's grace acting in my life to bring such a commitment about. It was probably there, but it wasn't what stuck with me. What stuck with me was that I was to do it anyway. Now I certainly wanted to please Jesus, but I had difficulty believing He could love me, and be pleased with me as I was. No - I had to be utterly sold out for Him because that was the way to be accepted by Him - and others as well. So I ended up being driven as a Believer because I so wanted to gain acceptance. I had much to learn about the grace of God.
That was life at one end of the spectrum of spiritual living. At the other end of the spectrum are those who not driven at all. In fact they won't do anything unless they feel like it. They want everything done for them. These Christians may have found the grace of God, but they are presuming on it. They need to be careful. Let me read you a poem:- "Butt Prints In The Sand".
So we have these two extreme kinds of Christian - one driven, the other lazy - both desperately in need of the life-changing power of Jesus - that's what His grace is. The irony is that the truth is in some way a combination of these two extremes. We are dependent upon Jesus to change us, but we have to put ourselves in the place where He can do that. Jesus said we have to "Remain in Him." - stay close, stay connected to Jesus. It's what I was talking about two weeks ago.
Paul wasn't saying these things because he felt driven to - Like:- this is the kind of attitude an all-out disciple has, so this was what he was going to say to those Elders! For him it was absolutely true because Jesus had changed his heart and made it true. Paul had caught the wonder of what Jesus had done for him. He saw beyond this life, and into eternity. So he could truly say, as he did in Phil 1:21 - "For me to live is Christ, to die is gain." He saw that this life only means anything if we are living it for Jesus - because it's all going to be over anyway in a few years - and then we'll be in eternity - for ever and ever, and then some. Then we'll realise that this life was simply preparation for the main event in Heaven. Then we'll start to discover what the Lord has really got in store for us - love, joy, and peace without measure.
In Col 1:27, Paul puts it like this: the good news is "Christ in you, the hope of glory." The first sermon I ever preached was on this verse. It summed up the two deepest longings in humankind - fulfilment in the present - brought about by Christ in you; and security for the future - such is the cast-iron certainty of our hope of eternal life.
Our Lord Jesus had so caught this that He was able, not only to endure the cross, but to scorn its shame, because of the joy He was going to gain from it. The joy set before Him was His Bride, the Church, those Redeemed by His blood. That joy would do more than fill the earth. It would fill Heaven!
I don't know if I'm really communicating this.
We hum and ha about our commitment to Christ. Part-time discipleship is not an option. If we want to follow Jesus, it's all or nothing!
We paddle in the shallows of his grace in our lives. We ask for so little!
We mix love of the world with love for Jesus, and wonder why we're not really enjoying Him as others seem to. Yet this grace has the ability to transform the hardest of hearts so that the pursuit of God's Kingdom is the one consuming passion of our lives. It is the pearl of great price for which a man sold everything he had in order to own it. It is the treasure hidden in a field which cost a man everything he had to buy, but it was worth every penny, and so much more.
I would hope by now you're asking the question, How? Is there anything I can do to lay hold of this grace, or do I have to wait until God gives it to me - and the answer is "Yes!" to both questions.
I wanted to come to you today with all the answers. I wanted to be able to show how to lay hold of this life-transforming grace - Steps 1, 2, & 3. I asked, "Lord, help me make it really clear and simple!" What I believe He said to me in reply is this: "If I gave you a neat formula which enabled you to lay hold of my life-changing grace, then you wouldn't need to come to me anymore for it. You wouldn't need to depend on me, and you need to be dependent on me.
Testimony 1: Overcoming fear of others.
Having said that, I can point you in the right direction:
EG: We have to be able to admit our need. "Lord, I don't think I really can echo Paul's sentiment. There are other things in my life as valuable, if not more so." That's being honest; and the Lord loves honesty. He sees what's in our hearts anyway. There's no point in trying to cover it up!
The second step is to want to change, but to realise we can't change ourselves. We have got to want this with all our hearts. It may be that sometimes all we can say is, "Lord, I'm not willing to change, but I'm willing to be made willing!"
The third step is to go to Jesus with that heart desire to be changed, and to ask Him to change your heart. - And keep on asking until we receive what we want.
He is our Friend and Provider. He gives us what we need. Do you really think He'll hold out on you if you ask Him for more of His grace in your life? He wants us to be fully committed to Him. And if guidance means I can depend on God. Commitment means that God can depend on me. Can He depend on you? I don't know where that commitment will take me but I would sooner be on trial before man for serving God, than to be on trial before God for serving man!
I want to read again to you what I read last week. It exalts the Lord Jesus. I want Him to touch our hearts, so when what I read to you resonates with you, will stand and give yourself to Him afresh in worship?
