Acts 9:23-31
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let [him] down by the wall in a basket.
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought [him] to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
30 [Which] when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.
You see, here we find (Saul) Paul in great need. His life is threatened. He must get out of the city of Damascus or be killed. In the darkness his Christian friends put him in a basket and lowered him over the city walls to safety. In this story we see a great example of people enabling someone else to do what they themselves cannot do.
Paul was the greatest teacher, preacher and missionary the world has ever known. No one could have taken his place. He could do what no other believer in Damascus could have done. Yet he would be unable to do it if he were caught and killed, and by himself he could not get out of the city to continue the great work God had given him.
Phil 4:13 *I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me*
We teach this to be a faith verse as we encourage others that are struggling....but Paul.....in this verse....He wrote actually meaning he could from experience....he was shipwrecked, snake bitten, beaten, imprisoned, stoned, left for dead and driven from one city to another!!
Sometimes we have to experience the Perils=Dangerous times like Paul....to realize that * We can do all things through Christ which strengthens us*
But if it wasn't for a few good friends ...he wouldn't have went through those things but rather would have died thus no Phil 4:13
So, we find a group of fellow believers, none of whom could have done what Paul could do, placing him in a basket and lowering him over the wall to safety. The fact is, if these believers had not done what they did the ministry of the greatest missionary the world has ever known would have been over.
There is a great parallel here for many of us that become discouraged because they can no longer do what they once did in the church, or feel that their best days of service have passed them by. Just because you are not the great missionary doesn’t mean you are useless. The great missionary would never have been able to accomplish the task that God had for him if there hadn’t been some people willing to hold the ropes.
Lets look at those who held the ropes for Paul and see what we can learn form them.
I. THEY HELD THE ROPES INCONSPICUOUSLY (not noticed)
A. We don’t know their names.
B. We don’t know anything about them.
C. We don’t know where they came from.
D. We don’t know their occupations.
E. What we do know is that they held the ropes for Paul so
that the Gospel could continue to be spread.
F. Maybe you aren’t the leader in the church you once were
.......maybe you can’t do what you once did....maybe the
newer (younger) people in the congregation don’t even
know of your great past contributions. But you can still
have a vital part of the future by holding the ropes for the
next generation.
2. THEY HELD THE ROPES GALLANTLY (with bravery)
A. Those who held the ropes for Paul did so in the darkest hour of the night.
B. At a time when they probably felt they needed to be resting they were on the city wall holding the ropes of Paul’s basket.
C. Even though there was a danger that they would be caught, they held the ropes.
D. Rather than being concerned for themselves they held the ropes so the Gospel could go on after them.
E. Veterans, you have been the leaders of this church for many years. Some of you have poured your lives into this church, and maybe now you feel that you are on a shelf and a new generation of leaders has moved into place. But remember, it is not to your glory that you have worked it is to the Lord’s, and even now when you deserve a rest, you are needed to hold the ropes so the new generation can carry on the work of Christ.
3. THEY HELD THE ROPES OPTIMISTICALLY ( with hope and confidence)
A. Those who held the ropes did so without knowing the future.
B. They did not know what Paul would accomplish.
C. They did not know he would write almost 2/3 of the New Testament.
D. They didn’t know that some day he would take the gospel as far away as Rome and Spain.
E. They had no idea what great things God would use Paul to do, but they held the ropes.
F. Before grabbing the ropes they did not quiz Paul to make sure he was going to do things just like they would have, they simply grabbed the ropes and held on trusting God for the outcome.
G. Veterans, you have carried the torch passed to you from the last generation well. You have indeed been faithful stewards, and now the new generation has moved into leadership, grab the ropes and hold on as they lead us into the future, without you holding the ropes, how will they continue the work?
4. THEY HELD THE ROPES PATIENTLY
A. They stayed at the task until it was complete.
B. They didn’t let the basket half way down and drop it.
C. They held on until Paul was safely at the bottom, out of the basket
and on his way.
D. They stayed with the task until it was complete.
E. When is our task complete?
F. When God calls us home.
***CLOSING***
Veteran saints, you have served well, and I know you may think you deserve a rest, but there is still work to be done. God may have raised up a new generation to lead this church into the future, just as Paul was destined to do great things for the kingdom of God. But those things would never have been accomplished if some people hadn’t held the ropes that night.
If the church is to move forward winning their community to Christ we must have some faithful rope holders who aren’t concerned if anyone knows their name, who will hold on no matter the cost, who hold on not worrying about the future but trusting a sovereign God to bless their humble efforts, and who will hold on until the task is completed.
I ask you tonight, will you be a rope holder?
No comments:
Post a Comment