Subscribe
Share
Share
Embed
This podcast is a production of Watermark Community Church in Dallas, Texas, USA. Watermark exists to be and make more fully devoted followers of Christ, looking to God's Word as our only authority, conscience and guide.
Welcome to Watermark. I'm so glad you're here. If this is your first time ever with us on a Sunday, thanks for trusting us. My hope is that this place would feel like home for you very quickly. Every single Sunday, we open up the Bible, the Word of God. We believe God has gone to great lengths to speak to us, and when we open it and study it, we can hear from him.
One of the things we do every Sunday to prepare our hearts to hear from God is we ask God to speak. So, I want to give you a chance really quickly to pause and pray for yourself. Would you take a minute and say, "God, would you speak to me this morning?" Pray that for yourself. Then, would you pray for the people around you and ask God to speak to them as well? Then, would you pray for me and ask God to speak through me to you?
Lord, I pray this would be such an important moment for so many people in this room. I pray that we would leave here having met with you, God, that thousands of people would leave with the sense they've heard from the living God through the teaching of his Word. So, God, I pray you would cancel out distractions.
Lord, for hearts that are callous right now, even in this moment, would you strip away those calluses? Would you pierce us in such a clear way with your truth that there would be life and joy today? We want to see you clearly. We want to hear from you, Lord. We want to receive everything you have for us. So, we give this time to you. In Jesus' name, amen.
This past week, our family took our annual trip with my wife's family to Galveston. My boys have still not seen a nice beach. As far as they know, beaches are concrete and brown water. But we went to Galveston. We had a great time. We always have a great time. We love going to Galveston. We're all about it. It was awesome.
But our trip was cut short. We ended up coming home a day early. The reason we came home a day early was because Tropical Storm Arthur was heading toward Galveston. A rule I live by is if a storm has a name, I'm out. I just commend that to you. If they start naming them, I start driving. I'm out. So, we got on the road and left.
One of the reasons we wanted to get out of there was because our neighborhood had flooded. I'll show you a picture of it. It wasn't too bad, but you can see right there. That's a picture from the balcony of one of the houses we were staying in. You can still see the grass, but here's what that means. When we would pull into the driveway to get out of the car and up into the house, we were stepping down into water that was up to about, if you can see that, right _there_.
As a germ freak, when your father-in-law is like, "That's basically sewer water," you're like, "All right. Let's wrap this up. It has been a good go in Galveston." That was the experience. It was like you get out of the car and wade through water to get into the house, and then you dry off. Then, if you need to leave, you come back out and do _that_. And it was only going to get worse.
When I took _that_ picture, not pictured in _that_ picture are these trucks of city workers who had shown up to pump water out of the streets. They had these big tubes that were channeling water back out into the Gulf. We watched these guys. These guys were there for hours, and there was no change for hours, to where we began to talk, and we were like, "It's not making a dent. It is not doing anything. If that's the case, let's get out of here, because it's only going to get worse."
One of the family members, my wife's brother, ended up staying the night, and they were delayed in getting out because the waters only got worse. That's the end of the story. There's no right hook. That's it. That's all I have for you. The reason I tell you that is as I've thought about that experience, that can be our experience in the Christian life on mission with Jesus. Here's what I mean.
This world is thoroughly flooded with sin and darkness. It is. You just look out in the world, and this world is thoroughly flooded with sin and darkness. We, as followers of Jesus Christ, on mission with Jesus, want to be a part of the solution. We want to step into our workplaces, our gyms, and our neighborhoods, and we want to be a part of curbing the floods. We want to be used by God. We want to be effective for Jesus.
We want to take the gospel, and we want to see light shine into darkness and penetrate the darkness. Yet, I wouldn't be surprised if there are many people here who feel like they've given it their best and there has been no change. Like, you have sought to be on mission. You have sought to have influence and impact for the sake of the gospel with coworkers, neighbors, and family members, yet there's no change. You're asking God to use you. You're faithfully going and engaging, yet you don't see any change.
What I want to do this morning is remind you that God is working in a thousand ways you can't even see. God _is_ using you, and God _wants_ to use you. I just want to remind you of that. God wants to use every person in this room who is a follower of Jesus Christ. He wants to use you, and he _is_ using you. But, if we are going to have maximum impact for the sake of the gospel, there are some nonnegotiables that will need to be present in our lives. So, that's what I want to talk about today.
If you're one of those people who's sitting there, and you're a little bit discouraged by the lack of movement you see with family members who don't know Jesus, or who are in your workplace… If it feels like the floods aren't being curbed at all by your effort, I want to encourage you. I want to look at a chapter in the book of Acts that's all about impact. What was present in Paul and Barnabas' lives will need to be present in _our_ lives as well.
So, if you have a Bible, I want to invite you to turn with me to this chapter of impact, Acts 14. This is a chapter that we would love to be written about us. If you've been journeying through the book of Acts with us, then let me remind you Acts 13 and 14 detail Paul's first missionary journey. He goes on three in the book of Acts.
Acts, chapter 13, started with the church in Antioch and the Holy Spirit sending Paul and Barnabas out. Do you know how chapter 14 ends? It ends with them returning to Antioch and telling the church all of the amazing things God did through them. It's a chapter of influence and impact. Let me show you what I'm talking about. Track along. I'm just going to hit the high points of this chapter of impact.
Chapter 14, verse 1: **"Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed."** Isn't that amazing? Wouldn't you love for that to be written about you in your workplace or your neighborhood, that you spoke in such a way that great numbers believed?
Verse 3: **"So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands."** Understand what's happening here. Not only are they speaking boldly, but God is giving them the ability to perform miracles. That's incredible.
We see one of those in the city of Lystra. It says this in verse 8: **"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet.' And he sprang up and began walking."** How would you like to be responsible for a grown man walking for the first time? That's impact.
It keeps going. Verse 21: **"When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples…"** There it is. There's the impact. They made many disciples. **"…they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples…"** There's _more_ impact. Other believers are being strengthened by their ministry. **"…encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed."**
So, you see them making many disciples, strengthening other disciples, and what they do is through fasting and praying. Do you see it? We fasted and prayed together as a church last week. It doesn't have to be a one-time thing. If you need to make a big decision, maybe that's what you do _this_ week. They're fasting and praying. And what are they doing? They're installing leadership so that churches are as healthy as possible. I mean, everything Paul and Barnabas do in Acts 14 is up and to the right.
The chapter ends by saying in verse 27, **"And when they arrived and gathered the church together, they declared all that God had done with them, and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles."** They come back to Antioch, and what's true of them? They are packed full of God stories. They're packed full.
Do you have anyone in your life who constantly has stories to tell about how God is using them to the point where it's annoying? It's like, "I get it. He likes you more than me." That's Paul and Barnabas. They're just rolling. They have so many stories of impact, how God is working in and through them.
Now, let me say this. I know God used the apostle Paul in a unique way in church history, but I just want to remind you: God wants to use _you_. He wants to use _me_. God _is_ using you. God _is_ working through you. God wants to fill our lives with God stories. He does. God is accomplishing his purposes. He could accomplish them however he wants to. He has decided to do it through his people.
I tell you that to say, if you're going to have an impact for the sake of the gospel, there were a few things Paul and Barnabas had that you are going to need as well. I'm just going to identify three things. This isn't an exhaustive list; it's just what we see in the text. I'll give the three things to you right now. You're going to need _supernatural grit_, _gospel-given security_, and _clarity of calling_. So, let's unpack these. If you want to have an impact, if you want to be used by God in mighty ways, you're going to have to have these three things.
1\. _Supernatural grit_. Look back at verse 1. Listen to what it says. **"Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed."** That's amazing. Isn't that awesome? Wouldn't you want that to be true of you? But listen to verse 2. **"But…"** The word _but_ always strikes a contrast in the Bible. **"But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers."** So, great things are happening, yet there's resistance to Paul and Barnabas' work. There are people actively working against them.
So, what did Paul and Barnabas do when they encountered resistance? Look at verse 3. In light of that resistance, it says, **"So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands."** Do you see? It doesn't say, "So they gave up. So they went somewhere else. So they got really discouraged." No. It says they remained. They dug in. They didn't back down. They stayed in the battle. They didn't retreat.
How was that possible? It was possible because the last verse in chapter 13 tells us they were full of the Holy Spirit. Then, right here in verse 3, when it says they were speaking boldly _for_ the Lord, I think a better translation is they were speaking boldly _in_ the Lord or in reliance upon the Lord. They had supernatural power inside of them. That's supernatural grit. It's not their own man power. It's not self-discipline to just stay in the game. No. There is a supernatural, Holy Spirit-given grit.
Then, if you keep reading, do you know what happens? A plot is devised to attempt to stone them, so they have to leave the city. But what do they do when they move on to the next city? They keep preaching the gospel. They didn't back down. They didn't update their LinkedIn profiles, thinking, "Maybe it's time to do something else." They stayed the course. The missionary journey went on. Why? Supernatural grit.
During my first year of marriage, I ate a lot and exercised little, to the point that when I applied for life insurance, I had to check the box of excessive weight gain. Eating a lot, exercising little. You're like, "Where is _this_ going?" I'll tell you where it's going. So, Kat and I… I can't remember if it was in the first or second year of marriage. We went on a trip to Italy, and we decided to visit Cinque Terre. If you've never been there, it's these five towns that are connected by a pathway. They're on the coast, and it's absolutely beautiful.
You can hike between all five towns. It's over seven miles, but you can hike. So, Kat and I were like, "We should hike between the towns." This is not an exaggeration. I'm telling you exactly how it happened. We went to the pathway, and we started the pathway. From the start, it was just climbing stairs. After two minutes…not 10 minutes, _two_ minutes…we stopped, and we were like, "We're not doing this." We walked back down and got on the train, and we just went between the towns. The mission changed. We gave up.
When I think about that, I'm like, "You know what?" It's so subtle, but the same thing can happen with being on mission with Jesus, where we experience resistance and give up. It's interesting. My wife's aunt is someone who has been antagonistic to the gospel since we got married, and we're going on 20 years of marriage. Over the course of 20 years, I have had several gospel conversations with her, and the resistance has been very strong.
I'm just confessing. When we were in Galveston, Kat's aunt was there, and it was like, without knowing it, I had surrendered. I just didn't feel urgency anymore to share with her or to engage with her about spiritual things, because I had experienced resistance for so long that I was like, "How does…" There wasn't any urgency.
We can do that, where resistance comes, and we're like, "Yeah, I just don't think they're into it," and we let off the gas or we say, "Look. New mission. Let's find something else to do." If you're going to have an impact, there has to be Spirit-empowered supernatural grit, because there _will_ be resistance.
This is where I want to ground us theologically. Right now, if you're kind of halfway engaged or tuned out, you need to come on back, because what I'm going to do right now is pull back the curtain for you, and I want you to see backstage of spiritual resistance, like, what is actually going on. It's important for you to understand, because if you don't understand what's behind the curtain of spiritual resistance, then you might get discouraged, and you might let off the gas.
So, here's what you need to understand. Anytime there is resistance to the gospel, here is why. Like, if you have neighbors, coworkers, or family members who mock you for your faith, want nothing to do with you because of your faith, mistreat you because of your faith, or just are indifferent to your faith, here's what's going on. Second Corinthians 4:4: **"In their case the god of this world** \[Satan\] **has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God."**
So, let's be clear. Satan is real. He's at work. We shouldn't ignore him or minimize him. He is God's enemy. He is _our_ enemy. He hates the gospel, and he is always actively working to thwart the ministry of the gospel. Now listen to Ephesians 2:1-2. **"And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked…"** Before you knew Jesus, this is what was true. You were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked.
**"…following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air…"** That's Satan. What's that saying? It's saying those who don't know Jesus are actually ruled by Satan. **"…the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience…"** What that's saying is there is actually a dark force from Satan, aligned with Satan, that is at work in unbelievers, fueling disobedience.
So, let's be clear. I've talked about how our common story, as Christians, is we were dead and now we're alive, but it's not just that. Our story is we were captives and have been set free by Jesus Christ. If you know Jesus Christ, that's your story. You were a slave. You were a captive, and you've been set free by Jesus. So, keep that in mind when we're talking about resistance.
Now listen to Paul's words in Ephesians 6. He says, **"For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."** This is where I need you to lock in. Listen to this. Don't miss it. When we engage unbelievers with the gospel, we aren't just trying to persuade them to believe the gospel. No. What we are doing when we engage with the gospel is we are storming the domain of darkness.
We're invading. We are infiltrating the domain of darkness on a rescue mission, seeking to liberate slaves from captivity by the powerful name of Jesus Christ. We are in a battle. Some people in our lives have so thoroughly believed darkness is life that the light of the gospel is like walking out of a dark movie theater into the sunlight. It is unbearable to them.
So, you need to prepare for battle. You have to have supernatural grit, because the intensity of someone's resistance is actually showing you the intensity of their captivity. Do you hear that? The intensity of someone's resistance is showing you the intensity of their captivity. Their resistance screams their need for rescue. That's why we don't grow discouraged. That's why we dig in. We don't back down. That's why we rely on the Spirit for supernatural grit.
Now, resistance can take a more subtle form. Sometimes you know resistance immediately, because someone will mock you for your faith, ignore you, or want nothing to do with you because of your faith, but resistance can also take the form of indifference. I think that is something more of us experience. It's not that people in your life are against Jesus; they just don't care. What you have to remember is Satan doesn't need everyone to hate Jesus. He doesn't need people to hate Jesus; he just needs them to find Jesus irrelevant to their lives. That's a success for him.
What you need to understand is sometimes you are going to pour your life out. You're going to pour your life out for your kids to know Jesus. You're going to be so intentional. You're going to do all of the family devotionals, read all of the books, spend all the money on the camps, and one of your kids is going to love Jesus, and the other is still going to be indifferent.
Some of you are going to pour your lives out for seven years leading students here at the church, and then they're going to go to college and wander away. You're going to pour yourself out in your workplace, and you're going to pour yourself out to unbelievers in your life, and they're still just never going to have a desire. Don't back down.
When you experience indifference, it's easy to want to give up. I'm just going to confess. Our family devotionals are usually at the dinner table, and sometimes they're amazing. Like, "This is incredible. I'm such an amazing dad." (That's a joke.) Then there are other times where I'm like, "What is happening?"
I have amazing kids. I love my three boys, and I've seen the Lord work in each of their lives in different ways. But I remember this one time where I was giving it my best. Like, I was giving it my all at the dinner table, and there was zero engagement. If anything, it was like war against Dad. It was like the three had gotten together beforehand and were like, "Mutiny on three." To the point where, in a moment of weakness, here's what I said to my boys. I'm not proud of this, but I'm just telling you this is what I said to them.
I said, "Guys, when you grow up and someone asks you, 'What was it like having a pastor as a dad?' here's what you tell them: 'He tried.' That's what you tell them. You just say, 'He tried.'" I'm not proud of that moment, but the reason I share that… Look. I get it. If you have those moments with your kids where you're like, "This is not going well. They're not getting it…" Yeah. Welcome to parenthood.
But you don't stop. You dig in. There is a war for your kid's heart. Like, I didn't give up that night. We were back at it. Even this past week, we had such a great time rehearsing the gospel together. The Lord is moving and working, but you don't give up when there's resistance. Dig in. Stay in the fight. Don't give up on the mission. Supernatural grit.
2\. _Gospel-given security_. The scene really changes. They go to a new city, and it's a totally different story, at least for a little bit. It says, **"Now at Lystra there was a man sitting who could not use his feet. He was crippled from birth and had never walked. He listened to Paul speaking. And Paul, looking intently at him and seeing that he had faith to be made well, said in a loud voice, 'Stand upright on your feet.' And he sprang up and began walking."** Now watch this. Look at the response. Verse 11:
**"And when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in Lycaonian, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. And the priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds."**
So, this is a totally different scenario. Now Paul and Barnabas are being worshiped for their ministry. What's their response? Verse 14: **"But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments and rushed out into the crowd, crying out, 'Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.'"**
Do you see their response? It isn't "Turn to us"; it's "Turn to God." They know who they are. They're just men. They're men on a mission. God is the one they need. God is the one who satisfies the heart. Here's why this is important. I need you to follow me on this. Rattling around in so many people's hearts is this question: "Am I enough?" I remember reading years ago Jennie Allen's book _Nothing to Prove_. She brought up this question, "Am I enough?" and it resonated with me deeply. It was such a realization.
As I've done ministry over the years, this question is a haunting question for people. "Am I enough?" Just think. Is that question inside of _you_ right now, and where does it show up? It can take different forms. "Am I pretty enough? Am I funny enough, godly enough? Am I smart enough? Am I capable enough? Am I strong enough? Am I intentional enough? Am I strategic enough? Am I successful enough? Am I likable enough? Am I extroverted enough?" And on and on.
When that question comes up in your life, what's the answer? Well, a lot of people in this world lean on self-help. What they want you to do is just look yourself in the mirror and tell yourself, "I'm enough." That's not the answer. The answer is the gospel. What does the gospel tell you? What's the answer to the question…_Are you enough?_ The answer is emphatically "No." No, you aren't. No, you are not enough. In fact, we have all sinned and fall short. That's what the Bible says about us. We all fall short. We are all failures. Welcome to church. Jesus loves you. Aren't you glad you came today?
We all fall short. You are not enough. Here's the great news: Jesus Christ is. You don't _have_ to be enough because Jesus Christ has been enough _for_ you. That's why we say he lived the life we couldn't live. He died the death we deserve to die. He rose from the grave, and in rising from the grave, he has made a way for us to be made new. So, our story is not that we're enough but that Jesus Christ _is_ enough, and he has given us his righteousness, making us enough for God, and because we're enough for God, that's enough.
So, because of Jesus, you don't have to spend your life chasing "enoughness." You can rest in the enoughness of Jesus. Here is why I say this. If you aren't anchored in the gospel, insecurity will seep into your ministry, and you'll find security in things like _this_. Just check and see. You'll find security in how much you're serving or how many people you're discipling. You'll find security in how spiritual your kids are, because that is a reflection upon you.
You'll find security in how many compliments you get after you lead something, or you'll find security in people saying you changed their life. You'll feel a need to humble brag to make sure people know you're enough. You might even resent how God uses others. Do you know what insecurity does? It causes you to _use_ Jesus more than you _exalt_ Jesus. It causes you to live a "Look at me" life instead of a "Look at him" life, and that quenches the work of the Spirit in and through you.
I just want to be clear. God will not bless our efforts to steal the praise that only rightfully belongs to him. I mean, Paul and Barnabas begin to be worshiped, and what do they do? They tear their clothes. Herod was worshiped, and he received it, and what did God do? He took him out. God will not bless our efforts to steal the praise that only rightfully belongs to him. He will not bless ministry for the sake of your insecurity.
So, let me encourage you. I have loved John the Baptist for years now. The reason I love John the Baptist is in John, chapter 1, the Pharisees kind of send some of their minions to John the Baptist, and they're like, "Who are you? We need to know. Who are you?" This is what John the Baptist said in John 1:20, because they're asking him, "Are you the Messiah? Are you the one we've been waiting for?"
Here's what John 1:20 says: **"He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, 'I am not the Christ.'"** Can we all just say that together? Can we all say, "I am not the Christ"? Say it. How freeing is that? Great news. You're not the Christ. You are not the Christ. I am not the Christ. We cannot change anyone's lives. We cannot save anyone. People don't need us; they need Jesus. And we don't need people's approval; we need Jesus.
John the Baptist goes on in verse 23 of John 1. They pressed him, and they were like, "But who _are_ you? If you're not the Christ, who _are_ you?" Do you know what he said? **"He said, 'I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord," as the prophet Isaiah said.'"** Do you see a voice? No, a voice is only something you hear.
So, he's basically saying, "Don't look at me. I want you to hear me, but look at him." In fact, when John the Baptist saw Jesus walking, and John the Baptist had his disciples with him, do you know what John the Baptist said to his disciples? He said, "Behold." **"Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"** What's his point? "Look at him. Don't look at me; look at him."
Do you know what the result was? If you read the text in John 1, his disciples stopped following him and started following Jesus. That's the goal. That's the goal of ministry. We want to be used by God for people to follow Jesus. But insecurity can creep in. I'm just making this confession Sunday for me. I've already told you about that moment of telling my kids, "You tell them he tried."
Last Sunday was a powerful Sunday here at Watermark. Marvin Walker got up here and crushed it, and people started responding. People were coming forward. Do you know where _I_ was? I was in Galveston. I'm getting texts on my phone about how powerful the morning is and how God is moving and working and people are responding. I shared it with Kat, and do you know what Kat's sweet question to me was? I love how the Holy Spirit will speak through… Men, listen to your wife. It could be the Holy Spirit talking.
Kat very gently asked, "How do you feel about that?" She didn't know everything she was packing into those few words. "How do you feel about that?" But do you know what was packed into that question? What she was really asking was "Is there any insecurity in you? How are you doing with the reminder today that it's not about you? Watermark is not your church. Anything good that happens is because of the Spirit of God moving. How are you doing with that?"
Do you know what my first response was? I'm just being honest. My first response was insecurity. Why? Because good things were happening and I was six hours away. But I was so thankful for that question, because it didn't take long at all for me to be reacquainted or realigned by the gospel to then celebrate and pray, to move toward celebration and prayer.
But just play that out. Play out me living in my insecurity. If I live in my insecurity, there's no celebration. There's no prayer. Do you know what ends up happening? I just begin to activate in my own strength to try and do more, and the end goal is self-reliance, to be seen, not for Jesus to be seen. I'm just telling you, it's amazing how we can become unhitched from the gospel. We need gospel-given security.
So, what Kat did to me I want to do to you. How do you feel about the reality that all ministry isn't about you? Like, how are you doing with that? Just think about the places where you are leading in ministering, whether you're leading a Bible study group or investing in kids or parenting at home. It's not about you. It's not about you being seen. It's not about your insecurity being fulfilled. How are you doing with that?
The message of the gospel is it is not about us; it's all about Jesus. Jesus is the one who came for us. Jesus is the one who died for us. Jesus is the one who rose for us. Jesus is the one who made a way when there was no way, when we were dead, for us to be made alive. It is all about him. We don't want to get in the way of what God is doing, so we have to deal with that insecurity. The way to deal with it isn't to look in the mirror and tell yourself you're enough; it's to look at Jesus and to allow the gospel to satisfy the longings of our souls.
3\. _Clarity of calling_. Look at verse 19. **"But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having persuaded the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead."** So, I want you to put yourself in the story. Paul gets stoned to the point of people thinking he is dead. They drag him out of the city. Verse 20: **"But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city…"** He went right back in.
**"…and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch…"** They're retracing their steps. **"…strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God."**
How could Paul get stoned to the point of people thinking he's dead and then just get up and keep preaching? How is that possible? It's possible because Paul was absolutely clear on his calling. He had crystal clarity on his calling in life that his life was about one thing. What was the calling on Paul's life? It's embedded in the text. The calling on Paul's life was to make disciples. What did it look like for Paul to make disciples? It looked like him calling unbelievers to know Jesus and calling believers to become like Jesus even through suffering.
Now, what I need you to understand is Paul's calling is the same calling every follower of Jesus has. Let me say that one more time. Paul's calling is the same calling that's on the life of every follower of Jesus in the room. It might get fleshed out differently for the apostle Paul than for you, but the calling is the same. Your calling in life, the reason you still have breath in your lungs, is to make disciples. What do I mean by making disciples? I mean helping other people know Jesus and become more like him. That is the point of your life.
This is where we need to have a very clarifying conversation. D.L. Moody said something like, "Our greatest fear should not be of failure but of succeeding at things in life that don't really matter." That should be your greatest fear: becoming very successful at things that don't matter. One of the things that will minimize your impact is a lack of clarity on your calling. It's living distracted. It's settling for a lesser calling.
When we were in Galveston, I just had the thought… My kids were trying to use concrete to build a sandcastle, or I don't know what they were trying to build. They were trying to do something. When I think about that plot of sand… For decades, people have moved onto that plot of sand and built different stuff, and then when they've left, it has all been washed away, and nobody even knows they were there. Every single day it's a blank slate.
So many people spend their lives building sandcastles of money and success and possessions. They build and build and build. Their life is just climbing one ladder after another, and at some point they die somewhere on a ladder. At the end of their lives, they've spent everything just building sandcastles, and death comes and wipes it all away. Someone else moves onto the same plot of sand and starts building.
Do you know what lasts for eternity? Making disciples. Making disciples bears fruit that lasts for eternity. I'm so encouraged here at Watermark. I feel like I've been around so many men and women who have been wildly successful in the world's eyes. They've built amazing companies and made a ton of money, more than they could ever spend, yet their greatest passion all along the way has been having a group of men or women they are helping know Jesus and become more like him. Their work is just a vehicle for them to make disciples.
So many people buy into this lie of "I'm going to be a workaholic now so I can make enough to then one day be freed up to make disciples." Why would you put off your calling? The greatest joy in life is found in you doing what you were made to do. You were made to make disciples. Does that mean quitting your job? No. Make disciples where God has you. God actually wired you and put you in the place where you are to make disciples.
I remember talking to an older man years ago. He was probably in his mid- to late 60s, and he was coming to the realization that he had never really discipled anyone in his life, and he wanted that to change. I don't care how old you are. You can't go back, but you can get going. You don't _need_ to go back. Stop looking in the rearview mirror. You can't go back, but you can get going.
So, I just want you to think. How are you helping at least one other person know Jesus and become more like him? Parents, start with your kids. You are the primary disciplers of your kids. The church isn't; _you_ are. It's not the church's job to disciple your kids. We'll help, but you're the primary disciplers of your kids.
Let me just say this. This past year, Kat and I have experienced the rabbit hole that competitive sports can be. I'm not against competitive sports. We're engaged with it. But this year, I've seen how easy it is to make an idol out of your kid's sports. If you make an idol out of your kid's sports, what do you expect your kid to do? So, I just want you to think. Does your kid's spiritual development get the same level of time, commitment, intentionality, strategy, and worry from you that your kid's athletic development does? If not, something is off. I'd encourage you to go to the kids page on our website. There are great resources there.
In July, we're doing Every Generation July, which means kids are going to be in the service with us. Some of y'all hear that and are like, "Then I'm just not coming in July." Hey, let me encourage you to think outside of yourself. Do you know why we do that? Parents, if you are the lead discipler of your kid, what a great thing for your kid to get to see you worship. You can disciple your children in worshiping God.
We get to show kids what it actually means to belong to a body, that we don't always have to be sectioned off, like, "You're just with kids." No. The church isn't just made up of 5-year-olds; it's made up of people of all ages. At the Night of Prayer and Worship last week, I loved it, because some of y'all took me seriously when I was like, "Bring your kids." You brought your kids, and you just unleashed them down _here_. It was great.
I don't know whose kid it was, so I'm not going to put the picture up because I don't have the parents' permission, but someone showed me this picture. I'm standing right here preaching, and there's a kid right _here_ with his elbows up on the stage. I love that. Bring your kids in July. I won't be speaking. They can totally come and put their elbows up and stare down the speaker. Every Generation July. It's our chance to disciple our kids.
But for everyone, what step can you take at work, in your neighborhood, or here at the church to help someone know Jesus or become more like him? If you don't know where to start… Look. When we talk about serving at Watermark, we're talking about making disciples. Serving in Kids is not babysitting; it's making disciples. You can make disciples with kids, students, college students, young adults, men at Men's Bible Study, women at Women's Bible Study, Merge (people preparing to get married), Foundation Groups (people who have been married two years or less), re:generation, re|engage… Jump in and make disciples. God wants to use us.
I just want to give you an opportunity to respond. Our Care Team is going to come and be down front. I want to give you a chance for a moment to respond. Maybe, before you disciple someone else, you need to _become_ a disciple. Maybe you've never put your trust in Jesus. You can do that today. If you're sensing resistance from the Evil One, dig in. Don't abandon the mission. Maybe you need to repent of ways that insecurity has seeped into your ministry.
Maybe you need to repent of excuses and distractions that have kept you from your calling of making disciples. Maybe the Lord brought you here for a different reason today. Even though we didn't talk about it in the message, maybe God is calling you to repentance in your marriage or stirring your heart to take the gospel to the nations. Maybe he's inviting you to get baptized. I don't know what it is, but before we move out of here, let's respond to the Lord.
We're going to sing briefly. If you need to talk to someone, you can come down front. We're calling this down front the _altar_. There's nothing magical about it, but it is a place where you can come and take a physical posture of surrender before the Lord. So, if you want to come down front, you absolutely can. Let's just take two minutes and respond to the Lord.
God, I pray that you would have your way in the hearts of your people right here at Watermark. If anyone doesn't know you, I pray that this would be a moment of surrender. Lord, we want you to have our hearts today. So, would you lead us in responding now? In Jesus' name, amen.