Calvary Road Baptist Church

“BECOME AN EFFECTIVE SERVANT OF GOD”

Acts 19.21-20.1 

No Christian serves God by accident. Those who do not serve God frequently seem to think that serving God is somehow easier for those of us who do serve God than it is for those who do not serve God. Nothing could be farther from the truth. The servants of God are typically more responsible than those who do not serve God, meaning they usually shoulder more duties, obligations, and responsibilities than those who claim to be Christians but do not serve God.

Therefore, it is even more difficult for the servants of God to actually read their Bible every day, to actually pray their prayers every day, to actually faithfully attend their Church every service, and to actually serve God than those who do not serve God. This is because we shoulder responsibilities rather than shirk them. And we do this by God’s grace.

Let us assume, for the sake of discussion, that you know Christ as your Savior and that you have a mind to serve God so that you might discharge the great debt to the lost and dying of this world that every believer in Jesus Christ owes, Romans 1.14-15: 

14    I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; both to the wise, and to the unwise.

15    So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. 

What obligation does someone have with a canteen full of water when they encounter someone dying of thirst in the desert? Far greater is the believer’s responsibility, the believer’s debt, to the lost of this world.

How might you go about becoming an effective servant of God? To become an effective servant of God, to discharge your debt to humanity (whether they be strangers or your children) you must, by God’s grace, make yourself into a prepared instrument, usable, useful, so as to be ready to be used.

In the text we are about to read, we are given some insights into becoming a usable, useful, used servant of God, something you should focus your attention on if you want to be the fruit-bearing child of God. Scripture shows all genuinely born-again Christians to be.[1] Acts 19.21-20.1: 

21    After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.

22    So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

23    And the same time there arose no small stir about that way.

24    For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen;

25    Whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

26    Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

27    So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.

28    And when they heard these sayings, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

29    And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre.

30    And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

31    And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring him that he would not adventure himself into the theatre.

32    Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assembly was confused; and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together.

33    And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defence unto the people.

34    But when they knew that he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, Great is Diana of the Ephesians.

35    And when the townclerk had appeased the people, he said, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

36    Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly.

37    For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

38    Wherefore if Demetrius, and the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies: let them implead one another.

39    But if ye enquire any thing concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

40    For we are in danger to be called in question for this day’s uproar, there being no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse.

41    And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

1      And after the uproar was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed for to go into Macedonia. 

Take note of several things in this passage. Of course, we read of Paul’s intention to swing through Macedonia and Achaia once more before returning to Jerusalem. This would primarily be to raise money for the brethren to offset the famine in Judea. After that was done, Paul intended to travel to Rome. We also see how pious the pagan Ephesian worshipers of the false goddess Diana were when the Gospel threatened their idol-making business. The love of money really is the root of all evil.[2]

Of particular importance to us at this time, however, is the example set by the Apostle Paul to every Christian who would be usable, useful, and used in God’s service. This is important since, in First Corinthians 11.1, Paul wrote, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”

There are three ways in our text that every believer can get themselves ready to be a usable, useful, and used servant of God. I suggest you disciplers focus on this with those you are discipling: 

TO BE USABLE, USEFUL, AND USED BY GOD, YOU MUST FIRST BE A PURPOSEFUL CHRISTIAN 

Turn your attention once more to verse 21 to see if Paul was not purposeful: 

“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 

Though we only see Paul’s purpose in the long term in this verse, rest assured that someone with long-term goals and objectives recognizes that shorter-term goals and objectives are crucial to fulfilling a long-term purpose. Peter Ueberroth addressed this practical necessity in his book Made In America, where he explained how he organized the Los Angeles Olympics without a penny of taxpayer money.[3]

There are four kinds of decisions that must be made and continually implemented that are included in purposing, in determining, to serve God effectively, that are vital to setting your mind and heart on being the serving man or woman God created you in Christ Jesus to be:[4]

First, you must be surrendered and continually surrendering. Paul reminded his readers in Ephesians 2.3 that 

“we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath.” 

In Romans 5.10 he wrote, 

“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” 

How does one who is by nature a child of wrath and an enemy of God come to be both a child of God and a servant of God? Romans 5.1 clearly shows that peace with God is the direct result of the justification that occurs by means of faith in Jesus Christ.

Thus, one becomes a Christian willing to serve God by surrendering to Him according to the terms set forth in the Gospel. One then continues on in the Christian life and in service to God by continuing to do what one began to do to become a Christian, surrender and keep on surrendering, repent and keep on repenting, bowing your will to the will of God as it is revealed in God’s Word. And what is the will of God for your life as it is revealed in His Word? In First Thessalonians 4.13 Paul informed the new believers, 

“For this is the will of God, even your sanctification.” 

You cannot be surrendered and continually surrendering apart from personal holiness and growing in grace and the knowledge of the Lord.[5]

Second, you must be severed and continually severing. Notice how strongly the Savior words His demands in Matthew 10.34-39: 

34    Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.

35    For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.

36    And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.

37    He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38    And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

39    He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. 

How can anyone read this and deny that the Lord’s salvation creates a rift between the believers and the nonbelievers within one’s own family, and that love for and loyalty to Him was not only more important than love and loyalty for your family members, but was also, in the case of unsaved family members, love and loyalty that pulled in the opposite direction?

This is further illustrated in Luke 9.57-62, where a certain man was told by the Savior, “Follow me,” said, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” The Lord Jesus responded, “Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” Clearly, choices must be made to clarify loyalties. While our duties are not always so pressing that we cannot bury our loved ones, it is clear what our priorities should obviously be.

In Romans 6.3-4 and 7, the Apostle Paul set forth this concept of being severed from the former life and continually severing ourselves for the ministry’s sake as “walking in newness of life.” If you walk in the newness of life, you will not walk along the same pathway as the unsaved members of your family, I promise you. Severed and severing. There ought to be no doubt in the minds of those who know you that you will choose Christ over them, God over them, and obedience to worship and ministry over missing Church when they unexpectedly drop by for a visit.

As a Christian for more than a half-century with not always reasonable unsaved relatives and friends, I can tell you that no one who is not insane will be offended by you leaving them at your home while you do what is more important, be it attending Church or fulfilling ministry responsibilities. Hey, they may even come with you.

Third, you must be someone who is sacrificed and yet continues to sacrifice. 

Romans 12.1:

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” 

Second Timothy 4.6:           

“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.” 

Choices have to be made. No one can have it all. Either your life is spent on behalf of the Lord Jesus Christ or it is spent on your own behalf. You cannot have it both ways. The Christian who is arrested in a foreign country where preaching the Gospel and seeking the conversion of the lost is a crime continues to sacrifice from a prison cell. However, it is no less a sacrifice when someone toils to study God’s Word so that he might feed the flock of God.

When you come to Christ, you are sacrificing your life for His life. As you continue in the Christian life you are continuing to sacrifice your life to serve Him. Notice how Paul described it in Galatians 2.21: 

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” 

Fourth, you must be someone who has submitted and continues to submit to spiritual leadership for your life, Hebrews 13.7 and 17. This is God’s plan for His people: 

7  Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. 

17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. 

What examples of submission to spiritual leadership are found in God’s Word? Allow me to list without any elaboration some of the many examples of such submission found in God’s Word: 

Accusations against a leader cannot justify failure in this area unless you imagine Samuel was sinning by submitting to the high priest Eli.

The Christian life is all about submission. The submission of citizens to their rulers, of servants to their masters, of children to their parents, of wives to their husbands, and of Christians to their Churches and pastors is indisputably God’s will for us unless there is direct conflict with God’s revealed will. It is a breach of profound spiritual significance for a Christian to break the pattern of submission modeled for us by our Lord Jesus Christ, especially in light of the many recourses given to believers in Scripture (that I list for you when this sermon is uploaded to the Church web site).[6]

Ordinarily, the person who does not submit to spiritual leadership is just plain wrong, because God has provided so many ways to deal with issues besides refusing to submit. I really need to bring a message from God’s Word on this topic. 

TO BE USABLE, USEFUL, AND USED BY GOD, YOU MUST ALSO BE A PREPARED CHRISTIAN AS WELL AS BEING A PURPOSEFUL CHRISTIAN. 

From Paul’s letters to the Romans and Corinthians about the special offering to be taken up for the suffering brethren in Judea, verse 21 provides additional evidence of Paul’s preparations:[7] 

“After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 

He passed through those regions to prepare for the collection of a large offering to sustain the Christians in Judea facing famine.[8] How are preparations to be made for any Christian endeavor, understanding that our primary, if not exclusive, avenue of Christian ministry is the local Church?[9] Four suggestions:

First, by offering prayers. What should the child of God pray for? In addition to always praying for God’s glory to be made manifest and for the advance of the Gospel, the child of God should pray for himself and others, as Paul prayed for others and sought prayer for himself.[10] In addition to all that, so your undertaking might meet with success, be sure to pray for perception, protection, and power. Perception so that you might discern God’s will. Protection because you will undoubtedly suffer opposition and temptations. Power so your witness will be persuasive and fruitful.

As our friend Samuel Rai so effectively pointed out when he was here and has demonstrated throughout his fruitful ministry, prayer accompanied by fasting is the pattern so often seen in God’s Word when undertaking an enterprise that you want God to show up for and bless.[11]

It is not that you fast and pray and then stop praying (because you should pray without ceasing), but after you have begun to pray, you must also prepare by making plans. I am admittedly a poor planner. That said, despite my own glaring weakness in this area, planning is so important. Planning enables you to direct your future efforts and resources. Planning allows you to pray intelligently. Planning makes it possible to begin doing some things that take a long time to accomplish so your goals can be realized more quickly.

For example, Why wait until you are in seminary to learn Greek when you can learn Greek in high school? Why wait until you are out of high school to take college classes if you can take college classes while you are still in high school? I started taking college courses in tenth grade and had read all the texts before I enrolled in Bible college. Why wait until harvest season to plant seeds?

You can begin learning a trade long before you complete high school. In our text we see the Apostle Paul planning his activities years in advance. Can you not plan to be at a service, plan to engage in a ministry, or plan to be an available Christian?

Third, we also see Paul ordering priorities. This is integral to proper planning. Since you cannot do everything, and since you cannot have it all, when planning important things, you should also prioritize things that are more important and less important. You do the most important things first. You do the somewhat important things next. You do the unimportant things last. If you plan things properly, you may be able to get the most important things done, and have enough time to do the somewhat important things. You may even get so much done that you can even get some rather unimportant things done.

Should you not properly fast and pray for your children and plan your rearing of them? How, then, can you effectively prioritize your parenting while at the same time planning to miss Church services and the means of grace your children so desperately need?

Fourth, since all Christian ministry involves people, there will always be a place for evaluating personalities. Sometimes, two great people do not work well together, while two other people work so well together that they get more done than when they work separately. Personalities must always be evaluated. Four brief examples and then a true story:

First, read through the Old Testament and you will see that David evaluated the personalities of his mighty men. We also see that he made a terrible mistake with his nephews, especially Joab, promoting him to general, which caused David no end of trouble because of Joab’s ruthlessness.

Second, read through the Gospels, and you will see that our Lord Jesus Christ did this. He selected the disciples who worked closely with Him, calling several of them on several occasions to follow Him. He had a group of disciples numbering about 120. The Apostles He chose number 12. And there was an inner circle of three men who were even more intimate with Him.[12] How can it be otherwise with any number of groups in a congregation?

Third, the Book of Acts showed that the Apostle Paul paid careful attention to personalities and team chemistry, denying one young man named John Mark a place on his second missionary journey team while on the same expedition, showing confidence in a young man with a good reputation named Timotheus.[13] Some years later, John Mark matured enough to be welcomed by Paul. Yet many are determined to take offense when choices such as these are made, showing their spiritual immaturity.[14]

Finally, Church history records that attention to personalities was paid by the Apostle John, especially in choosing someone like Polycarp to serve with him. Thus, paying attention to personalities and cultivating people is integral to effective discipleship and leadership. Be careful to invest your time with those who will either help you or will let you help them become properly prepared to serve God. 

Finally, TO BE USABLE, USEFUL, AND USED BY GOD, YOU MUST BE A PERSEVERING CHRISTIAN. 

Perseverance is not an automatic thing. I speak here of persevering in ministry not persevering in the faith. Perseverance, making sure you are not a ministry quitter or one who goes home before the job is done, is frequently the result of those plans that a preparing Christian makes. Four considerations of what makes a persevering, a non-quitting Christian:

First, a persevering Christian must consider God’s ways. In Isaiah 55.8, we are told that God’s and our ways are different. Lost people are frequently quitters, while the child of God is supposed to be someone who perseveres. What kind of person are you determined by God’s grace to be? You could be a Job or an Abraham. You could be a Joseph or a Jeremiah. You could be an Isaiah or an Ichabod. You could be a John or a Judas. To be Christ-like and not a crybaby quitter or someone who does not quit because he does not show up, your mind and heart must be fixed upon the Savior. He is the One you are to be concerned about pleasing.[15]

Second, a persevering Christian must count the costs. Consider Luke 14.27-33: 

27    And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

28    For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

29    Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

30    Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.

31    Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

32    Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.

33    So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. 

Will you always know ahead of time what it will cost you to live for Christ and serve God? No. It cost me my professional career as an engineer. I did not know that when I came to Christ. It cost Brother Ibrahim his place in his clan and his culture. It cost Samuel Rai what opportunities he might have had as a military commander in the revolution and later as a leader in his country. Do I have any regrets? None. Whatever the cost to you, know that it is promised to cost you personal sacrifice and suffering, and you will only succeed by being purposeful, prepared, and persevering. God gives His people the grit to succeed in the Christian life. However, it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Third, a persevering Christian must conquer his fears. Are there fears associated with being a Christian? Oh my, yes. The unsaved person is frequently overcome by fear, fearing what is unknown to him, fearing anticipated rejections by others, fearing the possibility of failing as a Christian, and in our Church, some fear the possibility of false hope. Of course, each of these fears is without a valid foundation. However, even in the Christian life, there is a battle with fear that includes a fear of the unknown, a fear of total dependence on God, a fear of rejection, a fear of physical pain, and perhaps a fear of personal failure. Sadly, in the lives of so many American men, there is also a cowardly fear of their wives, just as Christian women must address the issue of fearing their unsaved husbands. Thankfully, this cowardice problem (that’s what it is) is resolved by the indwelling Spirit of God, as Paul pointed out to Timothy in Second Timothy 1.7: 

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” 

It is only left to the Christian to exercise faith and put God to the test regarding these anticipated fears, to show that we have nothing to fear after all except God.[16]

Finally, the persevering Christian must condition his responses. When I use the word condition, I use the word in the sense of conditioning, in the sense of training, in the sense of preparation. In First Timothy 4.7, Paul directed timid young Timothy to forget about profane and old wives fables but to instead 

“exercise thyself rather unto godliness.” 

Critical to understanding what Paul meant is recognizing that most spiritual behavior is planned. To be more specific, godliness is conduct that results from conditioning. We see this from the English word exercise, translated into Greek terms ά, from which we get gymnastics and gymnasium, and it refers to the training necessary for the uninhibited pursuit of God’s purposes.[17] The Christian is a soldier of the cross. As a good soldier, we must be trained to be prepared for combat conditions and be godly in life and service so that our responses to aggravations, frustrations, intimidations, temptations, responsibilities, opportunities, and spouses will not be cowardly but godly. This equipping is the goal of a pastor’s ministry in preaching and teaching and the discipleship ministry. Your life as a servant of God is a collaborative effort. 

Merely purposeful Christians, then, are those who desire to serve Christ but who never get farther than that. They live lives of frustration, defeat, guilt, inferiority, and justifying their cowardly misconduct because all they ever do is decide they want to serve Christ. However, if they go one step further and become a preparing Christian, they begin to put shoe leather to their faith and trust in Christ. They actually open up ways to self-discipline and service to Christ and will be among the more successful Christians.

If they are also persevering Christians, if they are Christians who pursue Christ, who run the race set before them, who climb over the obstacles placed in their path, who wield the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit whether they feel like it or not to finish the race that is set before them, ah, then you have yourself real servants of Christ.

Then you have believers ready to be offered when they know their time of departure is at hand. They alone can say they have fought the good fight, have finished their course, and have kept the faith. They will receive the crown of life.[18] They have loved their Lord Jesus enough to run the race of the Christian life. They have been faithful in their Church. By God’s grace, They have turned out to be the ruination of the enemy. And they will certainly be rewarded for their service.

I have shared this with you because I love you. There are times that I have seen heartache in your lives and experienced that same heartache in my life. I have seen and felt your frustrations and your pains. I hope this simple plan for becoming a more effective and fulfilled Christian servant will be helpful to you.

Be a purposeful Christian. That is, make up your mind that you do want to serve Christ. However, go beyond that and also be a preparing Christian. Take definite steps in your life to become the person God wants you to be. Do not just think that things will happen automatically. Finally, be a persevering Christian.

We know the Lord is coming soon. Give it all you’ve got until He does come. Let Him find you occupying till then.

__________

[1] Matthew 13.23

[2] First Timothy 6.10

[3] Peter Ueberroth, Made In America, (New York: William Morrow and Company, Inc., 1985), pages 73-91.

[4] Ephesians 2.10

[5] Hebrews 12.14

[6] Matthew 18.15-19; Romans 15.14; Galatians 6.1; Colossians 3.16; First Thessalonians 5.14; Second Thessalonians 3.14-15

[7] Romans 1.13; 15.26-28; 1 Corinthians 16.1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9

[8] Acts 11.28-29

[9] On this see Charles L. Hunt, The Body Of Christ: Metaphor Not Myth,” (Monrovia, CA: ClassicalBaptist.Press, 2024) and John S. Waldrip, The Church of Jesus Christ: 28 Truths Every Christian Ought To Learn, (Monrovia, CA: Classical Baptist Press, 2019).

[10] Acts 20.28; Ephesians 1.16-23

[11] Ps 35.13; Da 9.3; Mt 17.21; Mr 9.29; Acts 13.3; 14.23; 1Co 7.5

[12] Matthew 17.1; Matthew 26.36-37

[13] Acts 15.36-16.3

[14] Psalm 119.165; Hebrews 5.14

[15] First Corinthians 4.1-2

[16] 2Ch 19.7, 9; Job 28.28; Ps 19.9; 111.10; Pr 1.7; 2.5; 8.13; 9.10; 10.27; 14.26, 27; 15.16, 33; 16.6; 19.23; 22.4; 23.17; Isa 11.2; 33.6; Ac 9.31

[17] Fritz Rienecker & Cleon Rogers, Linguistic Key To The Greek New Testament, (Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library, 1980), page 626.

[18] James 1.12; Revelation 2.10

 

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