A Life Worth Living.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] All right, go ahead and have a seat. [0:01] Welcome to Village Church. [0:02] If this is your first time here, my name’s Steve, [0:04] one of the pastors here at Village Church. [0:06] And as always, I’m thankful and grateful [0:08] to see each and every one of you.

[0:10] We’re starting a new series today [0:12] going through the book of Philippians, [0:14] which may seem odd because we’re not actually [0:17] gonna be in Philippians today. [0:19] We’re gonna be in the book of Acts today. [0:21] But the reason that we’re gonna be in the book of Acts is,

[0:24] I think that the narrative of how the book of Philippians [0:28] kind of came to be is helpful in understanding [0:32] both the tone of the apostle Paul in Philippians [0:36] as well as the message that he has to give to his church [0:40] in the book of Philippians. [0:42] And so, going through an entire book of the Bible

[0:45] is kind of a practice we seek to do often as a church, [0:49] and the reason being that we believe [0:51] that the Bible is the word of God. [0:53] And so, what that means is that we believe [0:56] that God’s spirit wrote this through men. [0:59] And so, specifically for the book of Philippians,

[1:02] I want you to understand that I believe [1:04] that God used the apostle Paul. [1:06] He used his personality, used his ability, [1:09] used his brain power, and on and on to write Philippians. [1:13] So, we believe that these are God’s words. [1:18] So, we believe that they’re inspired.

[1:20] They’re without error. [1:21] They’re authoritative. [1:22] They are sufficient for you to learn [1:26] what it is to follow God. [1:29] And so, I wanted to kind of lay the cards out on the table [1:32] to help you understand the perspective

[1:35] that I’m going to be coming from throughout this series. [1:39] And so, the series is entitled A Life Worth Living, [1:43] and so, that’s the theme that we’re going to take [1:46] through the book that Paul is writing [1:48] to aid the church at Philippians [1:51] to understand what it is that they’re supposed to do

[1:55] in following Jesus, to aid them, [1:58] in knowing how to do that well. [2:00] And so, Paul’s seeking to encourage them [2:02] to live their lives towards God. [2:05] And so, the outcome of that’s going to be instruction [2:07] from him as to how to turn towards God,

[2:10] instruction on gratitude, [2:12] instruction on how to grow as a Christian, [2:15] instruction on motives behind telling people about Jesus, [2:20] encouragement about truth, [2:21] relationships with other Christians, [2:23] good doctrine versus bad doctrine,

[2:25] how to have joy, how to have a future hope. [2:28] And there’s going to be other themes throughout the book, [2:30] but those are some of the key themes [2:32] that we’re going to cover as we go through this book, [2:36] because it really is a unique look [2:39] in this letter from the apostle Paul

[2:41] to where it doesn’t seem as much that he’s trying to [2:45] redirect the ship. [2:46] You read some other letters, [2:48] and he’s really redirecting them, [2:51] rebuking them, telling them they need to go [2:53] in a different direction.

[2:54] But Philippians takes a posture for them to keep going, [2:58] for them to not stop, to encourage them to continue [3:02] in the pattern of growth that they have already [3:04] put into play. [3:06] But for today, I thought it would be helpful [3:08] for us to get some background on the book.

[3:11] And so, the title of the series, [3:13] which is the title of today’s sermon, [3:15] A Life Worth Living, comes from Philippians 1.27, [3:18] where Paul writes, he says, [3:20] Only let your manner of life be worthy [3:22] of the gospel of Jesus Christ,

[3:24] so that whether I come and see you or am absent, [3:27] I may hear you that you are standing firm in one spirit [3:31] with one mind, striving side by side [3:35] for the faith of the gospel. [3:37] And so, that’s going to be correcting for many of us [3:42] to where we oftentimes try to build a life worth living

[3:47] and then add Jesus onto that life. [3:49] Or we try to build a life worth living [3:52] and then bring Christ into it, [3:55] so that he can kind of sprinkle his magic Jesus dust [3:59] all over what we’re already doing. [4:02] And quite frankly, that’s not what he’s saying.

[4:04] What he’s saying is that to live a life well, [4:08] you need to live that life through [4:12] what you believe about the gospel of Christ. [4:14] So, anything that you are doing away from Christ [4:17] or anything that you’re doing that doesn’t necessitate [4:20] any kind of vision for Christ in that

[4:23] needs to be held with an open hand. [4:25] And it needs to be redeemed. [4:27] It needs to be changed. [4:28] Or it needs to be outright rejected [4:31] if it is a barrier to the gospel. [4:33] So, you can’t add Jesus to anything.

[4:36] You need to see everything through Jesus. [4:39] And so, in coming to him, you start with him [4:43] and everything branches out from there. [4:47] That is what faith causes into our lives. [4:51] So, we are called to build a life worth living [4:54] through our faith in Jesus.

[4:56] And quite frankly, understand that most of you [4:59] aren’t living life. [5:01] You are merely surviving in existence. [5:04] You believe in Jesus, but your life doesn’t [5:08] exhibit a faith worth living out. [5:12] So, in looking at the circumstances around Paul

[5:14] going to Philippi, I think that we can see [5:18] what it looks like to live out a worthy life. [5:21] I mean, because that’s what everyone is looking for. [5:23] Everyone’s looking for a life worth living. [5:25] Whether you call it joy, whether you call it happiness, [5:29] purpose, significance, or even saying things

[5:32] like I’m trying to find myself, [5:34] or if you’re saying I’m trying to find God’s will [5:37] for my life, what you’re really saying is [5:40] I want a life worth living. [5:44] I don’t want to live a less than life. [5:46] I want to live the life that I was meant to have.

[5:50] I want to live the life that I was created for. [5:55] So, I truly believe that the book of Philippians, [5:58] plus the story behind how that church was even started, [6:02] really helps us in seeing what that life can look like. [6:08] And so, in Acts chapter 16, I want to start reading [6:10] in verse six, but what’s going on here is that

[6:13] Paul is on one of his missionary journeys. [6:17] And so, he’s already done this. [6:18] He’s already started some churches. [6:20] He’s already made his aim to go tell people about Christ, [6:23] and here he’s doing that again, [6:25] and he’s got his crew with him,

[6:27] and here’s how we start in verse six. [6:29] It says, and they went through the region [6:30] of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden [6:34] by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. [6:37] And when they had come to Missyia, [6:39] they attempted to go to Bithynia,

[6:41] but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. [6:44] So, passing by Missyia, they went down to Troas, [6:47] and a vision appeared to Paul in the night. [6:50] A man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, [6:54] Come over to Macedonia and help us. [6:57] And when Paul had seen the vision,

[6:59] immediately, we sought to go on into Macedonia, [7:04] concluding that God had called us [7:06] to preach the gospel to them. [7:10] And so, the book of Acts records [7:12] how the church of Jesus was started. [7:15] In Acts 16, Paul is trying to go to places

[7:17] to tell people about Jesus, who don’t yet know about Jesus. [7:22] And so, understand in the background of Paul, [7:23] the way that he started was actually the opposite. [7:27] The gospel, the news about Jesus was going out, [7:30] and Paul actually sought initially to stop it. [7:33] He was a Pharisee, which was a religious leader in Jerusalem.

[7:37] He was a Jew who helped people be better Jews. [7:40] So, part of that was, first part was, [7:42] I gotta help everybody who is a Jew, [7:44] follow the law of God. [7:46] And so, he’s kind of the hall monitor [7:47] for making sure people follow the law of God,

[7:51] but he has more than just detention, [7:53] if they’re not doing it. [7:54] But then secondly, after the gospel started to go out, [7:58] after the news of Jesus’ resurrection started to go out, [8:01] and people started believing it, [8:02] there were certain Pharisees who made it their aim

[8:06] to stop it by any means necessary. [8:09] Whether or not they had to imprison people [8:11] for preaching the gospel, [8:12] or whether or not they had to kill people [8:14] preaching the gospel, [8:15] starting with the martyrdom of Stephen,

[8:17] they were willing to do it. [8:18] And Paul was on such a task, [8:21] he was going to a city to stop the preaching of the gospel, [8:25] and a light shone down from heaven, [8:27] struck him off of his horse, [8:29] so bright that it blinded him for a few days,

[8:32] and probably affected him the rest of his life, [8:34] and a voice came out from heaven, [8:36] the voice of Jesus Christ himself. [8:38] He said, Paul, why are you persecuting me? [8:42] And so, Paul’s response to this was, [8:45] his life was radically changed.

[8:47] He knew that it was Jesus Christ, [8:49] Jesus physically saved Paul’s life, [8:53] redeemed him from his sin, [8:54] Paul believed the gospel, [8:56] repented of everything that he’d been doing, [8:58] changed his life dramatically.

[9:00] He went from a Pharisee seeking to stop [9:02] the spread of the gospel, [9:04] to where the entire purpose of his life [9:06] was to take the news of Jesus Christ [9:09] to people who had not yet heard it, [9:11] and he started churches that way,

[9:13] and then he sought to strengthen those churches, [9:15] so that he could appoint people [9:17] to make sure they were being discipled well. [9:20] And here, we find him doing the same thing. [9:23] But what’s interesting about Acts 16 [9:25] is we see some verbiage that we don’t really see

[9:27] elsewhere in the book of Acts. [9:29] We see actually God opposing [9:32] the direction that he’s choosing. [9:34] Two times it happens. [9:36] The first time, he opposes him [9:38] as he seeks to go to Asia.

[9:40] Of course, Paul would try to go to Asia. [9:42] At that time, no one had gone that far [9:44] to preach the gospel, [9:46] and Paul says, they don’t know, they need to know. [9:49] So he got his crew, and he said, let’s roll out to Asia. [9:52] And God opposes him.

[9:54] God stops Paul. [9:56] Paul’s not discouraged like we would be. [9:58] Paul doesn’t say, well, God doesn’t wanna help me [10:00] do what I wanna do. [10:02] No, Paul says, no. [10:03] I’m gonna now go to Bithynia,

[10:05] because they don’t have it. [10:06] Then it says, the Spirit of Jesus [10:09] stopped Paul from going to Bithynia. [10:11] So here’s two times Paul’s like, [10:13] I got the way I wanna go. [10:15] I’m going.

[10:17] Nope, you’re not. [10:19] And so the Spirit of Jesus [10:20] stops him from going to Bithynia. [10:21] And so then Paul has this dream [10:24] that many call the Macedonian Call. [10:26] And a man from Macedonia is in this vision,

[10:29] and he says, Paul, come to Macedonia, help us. [10:34] And so immediately, Paul and his crew, [10:36] they direct their way towards Macedonia. [10:39] They’re gonna end up entering into Philippi. [10:41] The text is going to take us, [10:42] which was a big city, an important city

[10:45] in the region of Macedonia [10:47] to tell people about the gospel of Jesus Christ. [10:51] Number one this morning, [10:52] a life worth living follows God’s call. [10:55] A life worth living follows God’s call. [10:57] And so what you might be thinking I’m talking about there

[11:00] is, well, yeah, if God appears to you in a dream, [11:02] puts a Macedonian man in front of you, [11:03] and says, go this way, yeah, I’m gonna go that way. [11:05] That’s not at all what I’m talking about. [11:08] Because I think sometimes God does things almost, [11:10] probably not quite that bold,

[11:12] but almost as bold, and we don’t even pay attention. [11:15] We don’t even see it. [11:17] The question is, how do you get yourself into a position [11:21] where you can understand God’s either, [11:25] A, opposition to the direction that you’re choosing, [11:27] or B, a clear sense of where God wants you to go?

[11:31] Because it’s not about the where, it’s about the what. [11:35] The reason that Paul was able to understand [11:38] what God wanted from his life [11:40] is because he did not make his life [11:43] about finding where he needed to go. [11:45] He made his life about finding out what he needed to do,

[11:48] what he needed to be, [11:50] what he needed to find his identity, [11:54] and purpose, and values, and missions in. [11:58] That is the life that Paul began to build, [12:01] and that is the only reason he ever understood [12:03] where God wanted him to go.

[12:05] But that’s usually not where you start. [12:07] You usually start with where you need to go, [12:10] and we do this with many things. [12:11] See, sometimes we’ll be looking at a where, [12:13] but we’ll be calling it a what. [12:16] And I’m talking about things like career.

[12:18] I’m talking about things like education. [12:20] I’m talking about things like bank account. [12:22] I’m talking about things like spouse. [12:24] I’m talking about things like kids. [12:25] I’m talking about things like even, [12:27] what church should I go to?

[12:28] That’s not the what’s I’m talking about. [12:31] That’s the where’s that you’re looking for. [12:34] You are making your life about where you need to go, [12:37] before you make your life about what you need to be, [12:40] and that is what is holding you back. [12:43] And that is the reason when God does come into your life,

[12:47] and convict you that the direction that you are going in [12:51] is the wrong direction, you cannot receive that, [12:55] and you continue to go the way that you want to go, [12:58] like a battering ram against God’s opposition, [13:02] because you’re afraid God will disappoint you [13:05] if he doesn’t make a way for the direction

[13:07] that you want to go in your life. [13:10] Paul was able to take where God wanted him to go [13:13] because he had already determined in his life [13:16] what God wanted him to be. [13:19] That happened when God saved his life. [13:22] Because what God wanted him to be was very simple.

[13:25] You need to follow Jesus. [13:28] Because so often in our lives, [13:30] the things that we do are we’re going this direction, [13:33] we’ve got this vision, I’ve got this dream, [13:36] I’ve got this thing that I want to be about, [13:38] maybe I’ve even kind of seasoned it

[13:40] with Jesus’s language on top of it, [13:43] and something will happen that will clearly say, [13:46] this is not the way you need to go. [13:48] And it devastates us. [13:52] Maybe your plans failed. [13:54] Maybe the dream that you had was just a stupid one,

[13:57] it was indigestion, it was not inspiration. [14:00] It’s just you had a bad idea, [14:03] which if you’re human, guess what? [14:07] You’re prone to. [14:09] I’ve had so many things in my life [14:10] that I thought were genius.

[14:13] It’s like this is it, this is it. [14:16] Dumbest thing I’d ever thought of in the world. [14:18] I just had some bad tacos. [14:21] And so many times when that happens, [14:24] it devastates us to the point [14:27] where we question the work of God in our lives.

[14:30] We question the presence of God in our lives. [14:33] We question whether or not we have a move of God [14:38] in our lives, but note that that didn’t happen to Paul.

[14:42] And the only way that that can be true of you [14:45] is if you determine the what [14:47] before you ever get to the where. [14:48] It’s not that the where isn’t important, [14:50] it’s not that the where isn’t vital, [14:52] it’s that the what is way more important.

[14:55] What if Paul had found his complete identity [14:57] in getting to Asia?

[15:01] The opposition of God would have wrecked his life. [15:06] What if God then had said, [15:08] okay, Asia didn’t work out, [15:09] but if God opposes me again, I’m done. [15:12] The spirit of Jesus says you can’t go to Bithynia. [15:15] All right, it’s over.

[15:16] Let’s go back to Jerusalem. [15:17] I’m getting back into the Pharisee business. [15:19] There was way more money in it anyway.

[15:22] But see, that happens to all of us. [15:24] So many times. [15:26] Because Paul had rooted his life in following Jesus, [15:32] in obeying the already clear commands of Christ, [15:36] he could follow Jesus anywhere in the world. [15:40] Oh, I can’t go to Asia?

[15:41] All right, then I’m gonna go do it somewhere else, [15:44] but I’m going to do the same thing. [15:45] I’m not discouraged from what I’ve made my life about [15:48] because I’ve determined what I need to be about. [15:53] He says, all right, let’s go to Bithynia. [15:55] Can’t do it.

[15:56] Macedonia will work just as good. [15:57] I’m gonna do the same thing no matter where I go.

[16:03] Understand that the key to Paul’s journey [16:05] is not this moment, [16:07] but his reaction to God’s initial call [16:10] and his anchor in the truth of Jesus Christ. [16:14] Paul’s life was simply called to be about following Jesus, [16:19] and he said, wherever I go,

[16:21] that’s what I’m going to do. [16:23] You see, God has been clear about the substance [16:27] of what our lives need to be about, [16:29] and that is what mattered to Paul. [16:32] Because the what needs to come before the where. [16:36] Too many of you are looking to where you should go

[16:39] when all you need to figure out is what you should do. [16:42] The where will come. [16:44] The where will follow. [16:46] Don’t worry about the where. [16:48] Paul wasn’t worried about the where. [16:50] Yeah, he made his plans.

[16:52] Yeah, he wasn’t irresponsible. [16:54] He was being a good steward. [16:56] He planned out the direction that he needed to go. [16:59] He had some wisdom, but when God deterred that [17:02] and sent him on a detour, [17:04] he just found his joy in the detour.

[17:07] He said, I’m going to enjoy the process of God getting me [17:10] to wherever he wants to get me, [17:12] because I know that he’s got somewhere for me to go, [17:15] but what I’m doing there is far more important [17:18] than where I’m going. [17:18] See, so many times people will think

[17:21] that where they are is the problem. [17:24] I just need to go to a new city. [17:26] I just need to find a new job. [17:29] I just need to find a new spouse. [17:31] I need to find new kids. [17:33] I need to find a new degree.

[17:35] I need to find new, new, new, new. [17:37] And here’s the key. [17:39] Maybe one, not most, but one of those things could be true, [17:44] but if you do not find the what [17:47] before you worry about the where, [17:49] you’re going to carry the same problem everywhere you go

[17:53] into every opportunity that you have [17:56] and every relationship that you ever build. [17:59] You want to know why? [18:00] Because you’re still there and you’re still the same.

[18:04] Who you are is what determines where you go. [18:10] And Paul understood that who he was [18:12] needed to be someone who was following Jesus Christ. [18:16] Friend, worry about the what. [18:18] You see, the what isn’t subjective. [18:22] Some of you are like, all right,

[18:23] I need to figure out my what. [18:25] Good news, I’m not going to leave it a mystery. [18:27] The what is following Jesus. [18:29] You’re only going to find the what [18:31] when you make your life about Jesus Christ, [18:34] when you make your life about following who Jesus is.

[18:38] We get so frustrated by the direction we have in mind. [18:42] So frustrated because we’re getting [18:45] secondary matters primary. [18:47] We’re not worried about the primary thing. [18:49] That is why you are so frequently frustrated. [18:53] That is probably why you aren’t experiencing joy in Jesus.

[18:56] That’s why you aren’t accomplishing anything. [18:59] You aren’t becoming who God has designed you to be [19:04] because you refuse to root into the life [19:07] that God has for you. [19:09] You cannot hope to get the future that God has for you [19:13] until you root down in Jesus in the here and now.

[19:17] You need to become who you should be [19:19] and who you should be is wrapped up [19:21] in who Jesus is for you. [19:24] Stop pushing your agenda so hard and start learning Jesus. [19:29] Friend, build a life worth living [19:31] by filling your life with Jesus Christ.

[19:34] You need to just determine to where I am right now. [19:39] I need to live the mission of Jesus Christ in this time. [19:45] See, God’s gonna direct where you should go [19:46] once you’ve determined what you should do. [19:48] He’s not going to do it in the way [19:50] that he did it to Paul probably,

[19:52] but trust that you will receive discernment from him. [19:56] Your discontentment isn’t because of your where. [19:59] It’s because of what you’re filling your life with. [20:01] It’s about what you are building your life on. [20:04] Paul cared about the what, [20:07] and what we see is because of that,

[20:09] people came to faith in Jesus Christ. [20:11] Look a little further in the story. [20:12] What happens when they enter into Philippi, [20:15] which is a Roman city, [20:17] it’s a very important city in Macedonia, [20:19] they go in and what does he do?

[20:23] He lives out his what? [20:25] He says, all right, let’s find a good place [20:27] to go pray about this life. [20:29] And what happens? [20:30] God directs them to a prayer circle, [20:32] and there’s some women in that prayer circle,

[20:34] and one of them, her name is Lydia, [20:35] and the text says that God opened her ears [20:38] to believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, [20:41] to believe what she was instructed to believe, [20:43] and this is someone who had some means [20:46] who would be used by God as a great aid,

[20:49] not just in the Philippian church, [20:50] but in Paul’s great missionary movement all over the world, [20:53] and God opened her life to the gospel of Jesus Christ. [20:57] So much so that Paul’s like, [20:58] we don’t even have to camp out now. [21:00] Lydia’s got a big house.

[21:02] We’re gonna go stay with them. [21:04] And so Paul then goes into the city, [21:07] and he begins to tell them about Jesus Christ. [21:10] Paul looked for opportunities to follow Jesus. [21:16] Understand number two, [21:17] a life worth living looks for opportunities

[21:20] to follow Jesus. [21:22] Everywhere Paul went, that’s what he looked for. [21:26] Many of you are struggling. [21:30] Because you’re looking for opportunities [21:32] to not follow Jesus. [21:34] So you won’t admit that.

[21:36] But I mean, let’s be honest. [21:38] Look at your schedule. [21:40] Look at what you’ve committed to. [21:42] Look at what you will not sacrifice. [21:46] That points out oftentimes, [21:48] you are looking to not follow Jesus

[21:50] more than you are looking to follow Jesus. [21:52] I mean, so often, you are given just hand painted. [21:57] I mean, it’s written in letters right there. [21:59] Here is an opportunity to follow Jesus. [22:03] And you don’t say yes, why? [22:07] Because something else might come up.

[22:10] And so you hold on to your yes. [22:13] You know, it’s like on that event [22:14] where you say maybe. [22:16] You know what maybe is? [22:18] If my better to do doesn’t pan out, [22:20] I’ll lower myself to commit to this.

[22:24] That is opportunity to not follow Jesus, [22:27] and you are looking for it. [22:29] Yes, there are times when we’ve got other things [22:32] that come up and we’ve got commitments [22:33] that we have to follow. [22:35] But so often, our lives are made up

[22:38] of not wanting to be inconvenienced by the gospel. [22:41] Because when we talk about opportunities to follow Jesus, [22:44] we love to spiritualize it. [22:46] We act like, you know, this following Jesus thing, [22:48] it’s very mystical. [22:49] It’s like transcendental meditation.

[22:52] There’s probably also transcendental medication too. [22:55] Some of y’all are on it. [22:56] I know, you got that script, [22:58] and you’re like, can’t wait to get it. [23:00] Gotta get them pills. [23:01] But there’s no such thing

[23:03] as transcendental meditation with Jesus, right? [23:07] It doesn’t exist. [23:09] All right, so when we talk about opportunities [23:11] to follow Jesus, they happen in real time, [23:15] in real life, where you’re actually doing things. [23:19] All right, and as a church,

[23:21] we have so many environments that we call into, [23:23] but so many of y’all, this just isn’t a good season. [23:26] For what, discipleship? [23:28] The one non-negotiable that you can really look at [23:30] where following Jesus is concerned? [23:32] This isn’t a good season for you to follow Jesus?

[23:37] You have to understand [23:38] that when Paul made his life about the gospel, [23:41] he said, how can I redeem everything that I have [23:46] to follow Jesus with it, or else for him, it got rejected. [23:50] And that’s what happened when he entered into Philippi. [23:54] Everything that he did was to get an opportunity

[23:56] to follow Jesus, and anything that stood in his way [23:59] was annoying. [24:00] This is one of my favorite stories, [24:01] because Paul gets annoyed, [24:03] so a miracle happens out of annoyance. [24:05] See, not all annoyance and frustration is sin.

[24:07] Much of it is, but here’s one that wasn’t. [24:10] Look in verse, [24:13] lost my place. [24:15] Look in verse 16, it says, [24:17] as they were going to the place of prayer, [24:18] we were met by a slave girl

[24:19] who had a spirit of divination, [24:22] and brought her owners much gain by fortune telling. [24:24] She followed Paul and us, [24:27] Luke probably speaking about his involvement, [24:29] crying out, these men are servants of the most high God [24:33] who proclaims to you the way of salvation.

[24:37] And we might think, what a kind thing.

[24:41] Obviously it wasn’t a kind thing, [24:43] and she wasn’t saying it in a kind way, [24:45] because in verse 18, it said, [24:47] and this she kept doing for many days. [24:50] Paul, having become greatly annoyed, [24:54] that comforts my annoyed heart.

[24:58] Turned and said to the spirit, [25:00] I command you in the name of Jesus to come out of her, [25:03] and it came out that very hour. [25:06] But when her owners saw that their hope of gain was gone, [25:09] they seized Paul and Silas, [25:11] and dragged them into the marketplace before the rulers.

[25:14] And when they had brought them to the magistrates, [25:16] they said, these men are Jews, [25:18] and they’re disturbing our city. [25:19] They advocate customs that are not lawful, [25:22] and for us as Romans to accept or practice. [25:25] The crowd joined in attacking them,

[25:27] and the magistrates tore the garments off them, [25:30] gave them orders to beat them with rods. [25:32] And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, [25:34] they threw them into prison, [25:36] ordering the jailer to keep them safely. [25:38] Having received this order,

[25:40] he put them into the inner prison, [25:41] and fastened their feet in stocks. [25:44] About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying [25:47] and singing hymns, [25:49] and the prisoners were listening to them.

[25:54] That entire narrative is fascinating. [25:58] Because here’s the picture we have [25:59] of what it looks like to follow Jesus. [26:02] As I received the gospel of Jesus Christ, [26:05] I listen for the call of God. [26:08] I’d make my life about what he wants me to do.

[26:11] I know where he wants me to go. [26:13] I go there. [26:14] I tell people I live a holy life. [26:17] I try to make my life about him. [26:19] I’m in the word. [26:20] I’m in prayer.

[26:21] I’m taking advantage of opportunities,

[26:25] and everything will be great and comfortable [26:27] and secure and glorious and leisurely. [26:30] I’ll never have to worry about another thing in my life. [26:32] Here’s Paul’s story. [26:34] God took him out of a leisurely, comfortable, [26:37] rich, powerful life,

[26:40] redeemed him, gave him a what to live for, [26:42] gave him a where of he needed to go. [26:45] And when he got there, [26:46] he began to see some gospel success. [26:49] I mean, he performed an exorcism in the marketplace. [26:53] Everyone’s gonna flock to him and say,

[26:54] I need this Jesus that you have. [26:57] And instead, he hurt their bottom line. [27:00] He challenged their financial gain. [27:03] He challenged the status quo of the culture. [27:05] And they said, you need to stop that. [27:07] They beat him with rods.

[27:10] Then they put him in jail. [27:11] Then they fastened him to stocks, [27:14] which does not sound very comfortable to me at all. [27:19] And that is the point where we would say, [27:21] clearly, God’s hand is not in my life.

[27:27] But notice Paul’s response.

[27:30] He organizes a worship service in the jail. [27:35] At midnight, he’s praying. [27:38] He’s singing hymns with Silas. [27:40] And then it says, the other prisoners [27:43] were listening to them. [27:46] You see, we don’t have record

[27:47] that the gospel had made it here. [27:49] So here are some lowlifes in prison. [27:52] And God said, I want those lowlifes to hear the gospel [27:55] so that they can be redeemed. [27:58] And so God sent Paul and Silas to prison. [28:01] See, so often, the detours that God will take us on

[28:04] that are less pleasant than the journeys [28:06] that we want to have will be his pathway [28:10] for us to become the person that God wants us to be [28:13] and to be a blessing to other people [28:15] so that we can not just love God, [28:17] but so that we can also obey him in loving other people.

[28:20] But it’s not always going to be comfortable. [28:23] It’s not always going to be secure. [28:25] And the people aren’t always going to be the ones [28:27] that you’ve always surrounded yourself with.

[28:32] God has a plan for Paul, [28:34] and he’s right smack dab in the center of that plan. [28:37] And you need to prepare yourself for those moments [28:40] if you’re going to follow Jesus. [28:43] Paul’s intentionality was always to move the mission forward. [28:47] The entire town was against him.

[28:51] They beat him. [28:52] They imprisoned him. [28:54] Everything Paul encountered, though, [28:57] he looked at through the lens of an opportunity [29:00] to follow Jesus.

[29:03] See, so many of you are trying to fall into moments [29:07] of following Jesus. [29:08] You’re not working your life towards making moments [29:11] to follow Jesus.

[29:14] For many of us, we wait to do anything [29:16] until Jesus makes something clear to us. [29:19] See, well, maybe we’ll think this. [29:21] Well, you know what? [29:23] I’ll follow Jesus. [29:24] I invite him into my dreams.

[29:27] And if he gives me a Macedonian call like he did Paul, [29:31] I’ll do what he wants, but he’s got to tell me. [29:35] I mean, you know, the wise men, they had a star [29:37] to follow to Bethlehem. [29:41] God, star, I’ll do it. [29:45] Or, you know, it’s like Gideon and his fleece

[29:47] that he puts out. [29:48] Lord, I’m putting my fleece out, and if you do some work, [29:53] I will make my life about following you. [29:56] But until then, this lazy boy sure is nice.

[30:05] That’s not the way it ever works in the Bible. [30:10] There is no biblical precedent to think that that’s how God [30:16] is going to work in your life. [30:17] I’m not saying God never moves in your life. [30:20] I’m not saying God never brings amazing supernatural [30:23] clarity into your life.

[30:25] I’m saying that’s not normative in Scripture. [30:29] What is normative in Scripture is God commands, [30:32] His people move in the opportunities that they make, [30:37] God works. [30:39] That’s the normal pattern in Scripture. [30:43] Friend, you are waiting for an opportunity to present

[30:46] itself while God is pushing you to make [30:49] the opportunity happen. [30:51] That is the call of Scripture. [30:55] You see, so often we get caught up in not seeing [30:58] the hand of God, so we’re not moving with the hand of God [31:02] when God wants us to move so that He can bring

[31:06] His hand along. [31:07] See, He is working, He is moving, He just wants us [31:11] to join Him in that movement, and by faith, [31:15] then we will see His work. [31:18] But when we don’t, you know what happens? [31:20] We get overcome by critiquing others who are doing it

[31:23] less than we would do it while we’re not doing anything. [31:27] Friend, I shouldn’t complain about what is [31:30] if I’m not willing to live for what should be. [31:34] Friend, you need to understand that opportunities abound. [31:39] So there’s this misconception that God doesn’t give you [31:42] opportunities to serve Him, God doesn’t give you

[31:44] opportunities to step out on faith. [31:46] If you have been a follower of Jesus for X amount of years, [31:51] like the longer you’ve been a follower of Jesus Christ, [31:54] the more opportunities have been there, but so often [31:58] you have missed them because you haven’t been looking [32:02] for them and you haven’t been seeking to make them happen.

[32:06] Paul was moving so far forward in his faith that God [32:10] had to stop him to get him where he needed him to go, [32:14] and God will stop you if you’re going in the wrong direction.

[32:19] You need to trust Him more than that. [32:21] It’s not that God isn’t moving, it’s not that God [32:24] isn’t giving you opportunities, it’s that either A, [32:27] you’re not paying attention, or B, you’re just comfortable [32:30] where you are, so you don’t want to grow. [32:33] Your faith must challenge the path that you are on.

[32:37] Opportunities abound, but you don’t like them, [32:39] so you wait for another one. [32:42] Opportunities abound, but they don’t fit your schedule, [32:44] so you wait for another one. [32:47] God is working what you don’t want to lower yourself into. [32:55] Or inconvenience yourself with.

[32:58] So you don’t get to experience the move of God, [33:01] and you don’t get to grow in your faith. [33:04] My experience has often been that the people [33:06] who complain the loudest are typically the people [33:09] who walk in faith the least.

[33:13] Friends, you need to understand that God is calling you [33:17] to move, and when He calls you to move, [33:20] He’s calling you to make changes to your life. [33:23] And that is what we are the most comfortable with, [33:25] and sometimes when we see other people making the changes [33:28] that we need to make in order to protect ourselves,

[33:33] we critique them. [33:36] And we’ve all done this. [33:39] But the call of God is to stop living out the life [33:43] that we want, and to start giving into the life [33:45] that He wants us to live, to start moving [33:48] where He wants us to go, because the moments

[33:50] of your life need to stop being about self-preservation. [33:55] You see, the moments of your life need to start [33:57] being about gospel advancement. [34:00] Acts 16 is not a narrative about how hard things were [34:04] for Paul, and no matter how hard it is, [34:06] God will make a jailbreak for you.

[34:08] I’ve heard that gospel, that’s called a false one. [34:12] Here’s what happens in Paul’s life. [34:14] Let’s keep reading. [34:15] And so about midnight, I mean, this is just crazy. [34:18] It’s not that Paul wanted to go to jail. [34:21] Paul’s probably like, well, this stinks.

[34:25] But in faith, he starts praying. [34:27] In faith, he starts singing. [34:29] And in faith, God starts working. [34:31] It says that Paul and Silas were praying [34:33] and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners [34:35] were listening to them.

[34:37] And suddenly, there was a great earthquake, [34:40] so that the foundations of the prison were shaking, [34:43] and immediately, all the doors were opened [34:46] and everyone’s bonds were unfastened. [34:48] That’s the craziest earthquake I’ve ever heard about. [34:52] When earthquakes happen, buildings fall.

[34:54] Doors don’t just miraculously get unlocked. [34:57] All right, so this is a strange earthquake. [34:59] Maybe God did it. [35:01] When the jailer woke, I love this part [35:03] because in my mind, I have an imagination, [35:07] and this jailer is Barney Fife.

[35:10] All right, and he’s got the keys in his hand [35:14] when I was big rings, and he’s sleeping at his desk. [35:17] All of a sudden, the ground starts shaking, [35:19] and he’s just, whoa, and he just kind of stirs too. [35:22] And it says, and he saw that the prison doors were open. [35:25] He drew his sword not to stop the prisoners,

[35:29] but to kill himself, supposing that the prisoners [35:32] had escaped. [35:34] But Paul cried with a loud voice. [35:37] Do not harm yourself, for we are all here. [35:40] And the jailer called for lights, [35:43] and rushed in, and trembling with fear.

[35:47] He fell down before Paul and Silas. [35:50] Then he brought them out and said, [35:52] “‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ [35:56] Here’s what I want you to understand. [35:59] Some of the insignificant phrases [36:01] that we read in scripture are very helpful

[36:04] in us understanding the other parts of scripture. [36:07] And so when we look back, and it says that Paul and Silas [36:10] were singing and praying at midnight, [36:13] we ignore the next phrase when it says, [36:15] and the other prisoners were listening to them. [36:17] See, it wasn’t just the other prisoners,

[36:18] it was also the jailer that was listening to them. [36:21] You never know who’s listening. [36:25] You never know who’s paying attention. [36:28] You never know who needs to hear a message of the gospel, [36:31] who needs to hear you with joy, [36:33] who needs to see and feel your prayers.

[36:36] You never know. [36:37] I say a lot of words. [36:39] And so I blow this often, and I say the wrong ones. [36:42] But I’m so committed to saying the right ones, [36:45] quite frankly, I’m willing to say the wrong ones too. [36:49] So it’s not being afraid of that.

[36:51] And so the apostle Paul is doing [36:53] what he’s supposed to be doing, [36:55] and the jailer hears it, and it’s not that the earthquake [36:58] was something that he listened to. [37:00] No, it was a combination of, [37:02] I got these two guys praying and singing hymns,

[37:04] I think the earthquake is connected, [37:07] they’re still here, there’s something to this [37:09] Jesus Christ thing. [37:11] And he says, what must I do to be saved? [37:13] Verse 31. [37:13] And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus,

[37:16] and you will be saved, you and your household. [37:19] And they spoke the word of the Lord to him, [37:21] and to all who were in the house, [37:23] and he took them the same hour that night, [37:26] washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once. [37:29] He and all his family,

[37:31] and for my Presbyterian brothers and sisters, [37:33] his family had heard the gospel [37:35] and repented of their sins. [37:36] That’s a subtext. [37:37] Then he brought them up into his house [37:40] and set food before them.

[37:42] And he rejoiced along with his entire household [37:45] that he had believed in God.

[37:52] Friends, Paul made opportunities [37:53] when most of us would have made complaints.

[37:57] Number three, this morning, [37:58] a life worth living will see God’s work. [38:01] A life worth living will see God’s work. [38:05] You need to stop retreating from moments in fear. [38:08] You need to stop retreating from moments in fear. [38:12] You know, the great miracles in this passage

[38:15] probably aren’t the ones that we pay the most attention to. [38:17] I mean, there’s some pretty fascinating things in here [38:19] that kind of sidetrack us. [38:20] I mean, we’ve got exorcism, [38:22] we’ve got earthquakes with magic master keys [38:24] connected to them.

[38:26] I mean, we’ve got some crazy things in this story, [38:29] but the greatest miracle that happens in this narrative [38:31] is not those things. [38:32] The greatest miracle that happens in this narrative [38:35] is the mission of Jesus moving forward, [38:36] redeeming everybody that Paul comes into contact with.

[38:42] When he obeys the call to what, he goes. [38:47] When he receives the call to where, he goes. [38:50] Then Lydia gets saved. [38:52] Then the mission is furthered through her. [38:55] Then the people in Philippi hear the gospel. [38:59] This demon is exorcised,

[39:01] but Philippians come to faith in Jesus Christ. [39:04] Then prisoners come to faith in Jesus Christ. [39:06] Then the jailer and his entire household [39:09] come to faith in Jesus Christ. [39:13] And then a church is started [39:16] that continues a gospel movement in Philippi

[39:19] to where Paul, in another imprisonment in Rome, [39:24] writes a letter to them where he doesn’t say, [39:27] stop doing what you’re doing, [39:28] where Paul says, keep going for what you are going for. [39:35] The miracle of this is the move of the gospel of Jesus Christ [39:39] to change the hearts of men and women,

[39:42] to follow him with great faith.

[39:49] Do you believe that?

[39:53] That is why you need to stop operating [39:55] out of a position of fear [39:56] and start operating out of a position of faith. [40:00] See, I believe that fear may be driving your life [40:03] more than faith. [40:04] You see, Paul engaged moments in faith.

[40:08] When Paul didn’t know what the outcome was, [40:11] he walked forward in faith. [40:13] Do you think Paul knew there would be an earthquake [40:15] that night and that the jailer would come to faith [40:17] in Jesus Christ and that jailer would take him [40:19] to the magistrate and then the magistrate

[40:21] would end up setting them free? [40:23] No, he didn’t know that because eventually Paul [40:26] would get to an imprisonment that he would never get out of. [40:30] See, Paul didn’t know what was going to happen the next day, [40:34] but he knew that he could trust God with tomorrow [40:37] when he didn’t know what was going to happen today.

[40:40] So he walked in faith and he refused to stop in fear. [40:47] So often we operate out of a position of fear [40:50] rather than engage our lives in faith. [40:54] We are so afraid of what might happen. [40:58] If we build relationships, people might hurt us. [41:03] If we seek to make Jesus known, we might do it wrong.

[41:07] If we make sacrifices, we might miss what we sacrifice. [41:12] If we work too hard, we might get tired. [41:17] If we walk by faith, God might disappoint us. [41:22] You see, friend, it could be a number of other things. [41:25] It could be a combination of those things, [41:27] but the same thread goes throughout.

[41:30] You retreat from moments of faith [41:32] because you are too afraid of what might happen. [41:35] You are too afraid that change might happen. [41:39] So you need to start living your life by faith. [41:43] You need to turn away from the fear that is commanding you. [41:47] If you look at Paul’s life, he believed

[41:50] that the gospel of Jesus Christ was true, [41:53] and because he believed it was true, [41:55] he oriented his entire life around that truth. [41:59] He lived for that truth. [42:02] That truth is what defined him. [42:04] That truth is what gave him purpose.

[42:07] He believed that God became a man. [42:09] He believed that God lived a perfect life [42:11] in the person of Jesus Christ. [42:13] He believed that Jesus died a sacrificial death [42:17] to save him from his sin, and then that he rose [42:20] from the dead to give him a new life worth living.

[42:25] He believed that if his life was going to be of any value, [42:29] it had to be driven by faith in Jesus. [42:33] So he lived, so he risked. [42:36] Paul seized opportunities and trusted God [42:39] that those moments would turn out to show God’s power in life, [42:43] and yes, that it would show God’s power even in his death

[42:48] if and when it came.

[42:51] See, friends, the results of Acts 16 [42:53] are seen in the book of Philippians. [42:56] In that book, we see a thriving church [42:58] encouraged to keep going. [43:01] But when you wager your life on God, [43:05] you will see him work.

[43:09] It may not be what you expect. [43:11] It may not work in the way that you thought [43:13] he was going to work, but he will work to his glory [43:18] and for your great joy. [43:21] You see, when you seek to fulfill your God-given potential, [43:27] you understand that that is what defined in Jesus,

[43:31] and you see God work. [43:33] Paul did it over and over. [43:35] So I ask you, is your life defined by fear [43:38] of what might happen, or by faith in what God says [43:41] is going to happen? [43:43] What could happen if you started to live

[43:46] by what God says is worth living for? [43:49] What if you embraced the forgiveness that Jesus offers [43:52] and you walked into the new life [43:55] of walking by faith in him? [43:57] You see, God will change your life. [44:00] God will change other people’s lives through your life.

[44:04] Finding Jesus is better than finding yourself [44:09] because it is Jesus who holds the design [44:13] for who you are meant to become and who you are meant to be. [44:21] You see, when you find Jesus and when you follow him, [44:25] you cease to be driven to merely survive, [44:29] and you can find something to live for

[44:32] that is greater than you. [44:35] You can find who you were created to be. [44:40] You can live life towards God, [44:44] but you can only do it through living by faith in Jesus. [44:49] As the band comes up, friends,

[44:54] Paul’s life wasn’t easy. [44:56] Living by faith never is, but it’s a good life. [45:02] But it’s the best life because it is the one [45:05] that the creator of the universe is calling you towards. [45:09] You see, some of you, you might be in here this morning [45:11] and you might say, I have never lived by that kind of faith.

[45:16] I don’t know that I’ve ever lived by faith. [45:18] I’m really just sitting here waiting for God to do something [45:23] when God has already done something in the person [45:25] and work of Jesus Christ. [45:27] What I’m gonna call you to this morning [45:29] is I’m gonna call you to give your life to Jesus.

[45:32] Because if your life has never been defined by faith, [45:35] there’s a great chance you’ve never had any. [45:38] There’s a great chance that you’ve never really given [45:40] your life to Jesus. [45:41] Maybe you’ve kind of shaken your head [45:43] and agreed with the facts of Jesus,

[45:46] but you’ve never trusted living for Jesus. [45:51] And so for you, I want you to understand [45:53] that today you can turn from everything [45:56] that you’ve based your life on, which is sin, [46:00] and you can follow Jesus. [46:03] And he will save you today.

[46:05] He won’t wait to do it later. [46:07] He’ll do it right now. [46:09] If you give your life to him, he will redeem you. [46:13] He will save you and he will never leave you. [46:17] He will never forsake you. [46:18] And you can follow him into the future

[46:21] that you’re created to have, [46:23] which will someday be with him forever. [46:27] Do that today. [46:29] For some of you, you’ve trusted in Jesus, [46:33] but you just need to be urged to keep going [46:36] or to get back up.

[46:38] That’s what I wanna do today. [46:40] I wanna encourage you. [46:41] See, Paul had a life worth living, [46:43] not because Paul was any better than us. [46:46] He wasn’t. [46:47] He called himself the chief of sinners,

[46:50] but because Paul was radically transformed [46:53] by the one who saves Jesus Christ, God. [46:58] And Paul knew that anywhere where he followed God, [47:02] he was where he needed to be. [47:04] For some of you, you have faith in Jesus, [47:07] but you need to be encouraged to keep going

[47:11] or to get going. [47:14] This morning, I wanna reflect on that, [47:15] the way that God has called us to respond [47:18] through the Lord’s Supper. [47:20] You see, the bread on all the tables around this room [47:22] represents the broken body of Jesus.

[47:25] The cup represents his shed blood. [47:28] See, and it reminds us when we eat and drink [47:30] the price that Jesus paid to save us from our sin. [47:35] And it shows everyone, it testifies to everyone, [47:40] I believe the gospel of Jesus Christ. [47:43] If that’s true of you, if you have believed the gospel,

[47:47] then all these tables are open for you. [47:49] The barrier of your sin, [47:51] preventing you from having a relationship with God [47:53] has been taken down. [47:54] Come, eat, drink, testify your faith in Jesus, [47:59] and then go and get a life worth living

[48:04] when you are ready. [48:06] Come.