T is for Task

How does hearing the word task make you feel? The youth were in agreement that task isn't inherently a negative word nor a positive word. Task became negative or positive depending on who was asking them to perform the task. If the task was something that they wanted or had choosen to do, then hearing the word left them feeling happy and excited. On the other hand, if a parent or teacher asked them to do a task they didn't have much desire to do, then the word became negative and burdensome.

Let's read from Acts 20 about a task that is talked about. How does our attitude towards tasks compare?

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. Acts 20:17-21

In this short section Paul is speaking about how he lived admist his severe testing. Are you able to honestly say to others, with confidence, look at how I lived? Do we really want people to look that closely at how we live? Paul, just like in Imitate, could tell us to look at him and how he lived his life. Paul took his call from the Lord, did his task, and did it well. We have no reason why we can't do the same!

We should live as Paul lived; serving the Lord with humility (remember, we don't boast because everything was prepared by God beforehand). I know I fail in preaching what is helpful. Maybe I'm worried that no one wants to hear what I have to say or that I would be ridiculed or shunned. Paul, however, is clearly answering the Lord's call.

"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." Acts 20:22-24

We read that passage twice during devotions and quite slowly the second time around. Honestly, would you go to Jerusalem knowing you were about to face prison? A lot of people don't want to leave home, or their town, or their state. Why should we take a risk and move away? Imagine God calling you to serve somewhere else where you don't know anybody. Do you want to live away from family and friends? Maybe in a different culture in a different country? Most people say no way!

How amazing is Paul?! He knows that he might be imprisoned and face hardships. Maybe he'll even be beaten for his beliefs and preaching. Yet he still goes! Why does he go? Why is Paul so willing? How can he be so confident? He says that his life is worth nothing to him and his only goal is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord has given him. Wow.

Is this a section that we would rather read over quickly and pretend we didn't see it? Do we read this section and say to ourselves, "Wow, I am so glad I am not called like Paul" or "I'm glad times are different and I can stay home, in Seymour, because I want to".

At this point in the devotion, I strayed from Caleb's well-written, thought-out outline and yes, I did apologize outloud to him. I felt it was an appropriate time to share a story with the youth that I am also going to share with you now. Sorry, Caleb!

It was March of 2010 and I was still at home on short-term disability due to having my gull bladder removed. Justin was also home as he was working evenings at the time as well as being a textbook salesman. It wasn't uncommon for him to get a phone call from an odd area code so when he first got a call from an 820 area code he assumed it was for textbooks and left the room to take the call. When he came back, he told me it was from a high school in Seymour, Indiana. The first word out of my mouth was a shocked, "Indiana?!" My conversation with God went something along the lines of "Really, God?! Really?! Indiana?! God, you know that state wasn't ever on my list of places to live. I know it wasn't on my places of where I didn't want to live but... Do people really live there?!"

Now I'm not ignorant and I knew that people did, in fact, live in Indiana but I didn't want to go to Indiana. I had no family in Indiana. Seymour was a small town and I was used to big cities. I loved my current job. I was tired of moving. The list of excuses went on and on. I fought the move tooth and nail. I did not want to move to Indiana. I know I had a conversation with God about how I don't make friends easily and that I was making some awesome friends here in Wisconsin and my family was here. I know I told him that I was sick of moving and wanted to settle down and why couldn't we just do that here?

Obviously, I moved to Indiana. I do strive to be more like Paul but I tend to ignore God's call more often than not. I shared some of my list of excuses, what are your excuses for ignoring God's call?

But praise be to God! He promises that no matter where we live, how much we ignore his call, he will use us. Today I challenge you, and myself, to put Christ first. He left home and went to the cross, he had to. Paul went to Jerusalem and went to PRISON (Indiana is no prison) and he was still preaching Christ crucified. Take the risk and ask God to lead you where he would have you go. He may just pleasantly surprise you.

"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holdy spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in amoung you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'" Acts 20:25-35

These are Paul's final words as he was departing. He gives us the same warning God gives us about people abandoning the truth. Wolves will come in and they speak to people and distort the truth. These wolves don't care and have no respect to God's flock. In fact, they seek to destroy and kill.

The wolves are no different today. We are called to be on guard and be ready. Be steadfast in God's Word and Ways.

We read about one of Paul's tasks. What is your task? Are you still discovering that task from God? Do you wonder if the day is coming when God will call you to the next task? God has a task for you but it may take some time to learn and understand how He is calling you to serve Him. We always have the task of serving God. Paul knew his task and he did it joyfully, despite the unknowns and warnings that are far greater than what will face us, those of hardships and prison for preaching Christ crucified.  Let us strive to do the same regardless of what we might face.

For if God is for us, who can be against us?