 Amen. Keep your place in Acts chapter 8. Look at verse number 1. So Acts chapter 8 is a unique chapter in Acts. It has three different stories in Acts chapter 8. So we're going to take three weeks to get through Acts chapter 8 because I want to make sure that we look very closely at each of these stories. We have the story of Saul and kind of the ending of Stephen's execution. Then we have the story of Simon the sorcerer. And then we have the very famous story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuchs. We're going to look at each one of those stories individually to make sure that we don't breeze over anything in the Bible. I really like that story of Simon the sorcerer. There's a lot of interesting things that we can learn from that. But tonight we're going to look at the first three verses of Acts chapter 8. So let's look down at our Bibles and look at the first three verses of Acts chapter 8. The Bible says, And Saul was consenting unto his death. So we just had the death of Stephen. We just went through Stephen's sermon last week. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church, which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad through the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. They stayed in Jerusalem. And the devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. As for Saul, he made havoc of the church. Entering into every house and hailing men and women committed them to prison. Here we see this story of this man called Saul. So Saul will later in Acts chapter 9, he will get saved and God will rename him Paul. And of course he is Paul, many people would consider the greatest evangelist who's ever lived. Paul actually penned through, of course, the power of the Holy Spirit. He penned most of the New Testament that we read. He didn't write the book of Acts. Most people believe that Luke wrote the book of Acts. I'm along those lines as well. But Paul became a great Christian and somebody who accomplished great things for Christ in his life. So tonight I want to give you two reasons why Paul was able to accomplish so much in his life. I want to give you two reasons why Paul was such a great Christian in his life. You say, okay, that's great but that's a little depressing if I see this guy that's just so great. But here's the thing, I'm going to give you two of these reasons and these two reasons can be anyone in this room. Anyone in this room, as we look at Paul this evening, this could be you. It doesn't matter where you came from, it doesn't matter how old you are, it doesn't matter your background, any of that. This could be you. So we'll look at these two reasons that Paul was such a great Christian. I shouldn't even say why Paul was great because we shouldn't be sitting in our chairs listening to a sermon saying, I want to be great in my life. But we should be thinking, I would like to accomplish great things for the Lord in my life. We should be thinking that way. And I'm telling you that you can. So this is going to be kind of a motivational educational sermon for you this evening. But it's really up to you what you do with your life. So let's look at these two things about Paul and then let's look at how we could apply those two things to ourselves this evening. So look down at Acts chapter 8 and verse number 3 for a minute. So he's called Saul, he's not saved, he's actually a Pharisee who is actually persecuting the church. He was at the, look at verse number 3. It says, as for Saul, he made havoc of the church, meaning it's him doing it. He's leading the charge here, entering into every house and hailing men and women committed them to prison. Turn to Acts chapter 9 and verse number 1. I don't want to study through Acts chapter 9, but I do want to show you a pattern in this man's life as we look at these two things this evening. So look at Acts chapter 9 and verse number 1. Still Saul, not saved, still a Pharisee, look what it says. And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest and desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, what does that mean? If he found any Christians, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. Paul, this is the first thing I want to show you about Paul, why he was so successful as a Christian and why he was able to accomplish so much for the Lord in his life. Paul was driven, Paul was driven, Paul was driven before he was saved. He was a driven man. This is Paul in Acts chapter 9. He is going out of his way to go and get more permission to persecute more people. You say, yeah, but it's wicked things. But look, he was a driven person is all I'm trying to get you to understand. He's not saved here. And when he was persecuting the church of God, he was driven in that task. The Bible shows us this. As an unsaved man, he was driven. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11 now. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 11. I believe, personally, I believe that this is one of the reasons that God chose Paul right here. Because he was just a driven person. And you know what, God was like, I can use that. I can use that for the kingdom of God. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 11. Look at verse 21. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 11 in verse number 21. Paul says this. Paul's writing this letter, this is his second letter to the Corinthian church. He says, I speak as concerning reproach as though we had been weak. How be it, where and so ever any is bold, I speak foolishly. I am bold also. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seeds of Abraham? So am I. Are they the ministers of Christ? He says, I speak as a fool. He says, I am more. Now, who could say this next statement right here? Look what he says. He's saying, he's like, I am working harder than everybody is what he says here. He says, in labor's more abundant. He's saying, nobody is working for Christ harder than me. I mean, that's pretty bold to come out and say, he's basically coming out and saying, I can outwork anybody, is what Paul is saying here. I mean, that's a bold statement. And then he says, you know, in persecutions, he goes into this persecution like nobody's been persecuted more than me. He says, in stripes above measure. That means stripes like stripes across your back from being whipped. In prisons more frequent in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I 40 stripes saved one. Thrice I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Thrice I suffered shipwreck. A night and day I've been in the deep. In journeys often in perils of waters. In perils of robbers. He's like, even when I'm not getting beaten up, even when I'm not getting thrown in prison, he's like, I'm in constant danger is what he's saying here. He's like, I am in constant threat of being robbed, killed, whatever, drowned in perils by my own countrymen. He's like, even my own, even the Jews are after me. You know, he's saying, even my own people are after me. In perils by the heathen, the Gentiles are after me. In perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness. In perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren. Like even my friends. He's like, even my friends are after me. He says, in weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst and fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Look, I mean, the guy is saying like, nobody's going harder than me. And I mean, he's basically, you know, telling people he's like, nobody's going through more than me. He's trying to be an example to weak believers. He's trying to be an example to people who are like, I don't know if I can do this because he's like, he's just like never stopping. He's so driven, even through all of this, he will never stop. So nobody could say like, hey, this is too hard with Paul around. Nobody could say, oh, you know what? My friends are backstabbing me. I can't do this anymore. Nobody could say that with this guy around. Because he's like, I work harder than everybody. He's like, I'm in more danger than everybody. He's like, I've gone through more garbage than everybody. And he's like, even when I'm not going through garbage, I'm in constant fear and threatening of going through garbage, is what he's saying. So look, I mean, here's the thing. Being a driven person, Paul was, he was probably a naturally driven person. You will find that some people are naturally driven. OK, look, some people are stronger than others in their arms and their legs. Some people can naturally run further than other people. Some people can naturally, you know, lift more than other people. But here's what I'm trying to get you to understand tonight. And I'm going to explain at the end of the sermon, anybody can be a driven person. Anybody. It's something that can be learned. It may come naturally to other people. It may come naturally to some people. But I'm telling you, it's something that anyone can become. And Paul was extremely driven in his life. What's the next thing? Turn to Luke chapter 7. So that's the first thing. Paul was driven as an unsaved man. He was driven persecuting the church. As a saved man, he was driven for Christ. God was able to harness that power. And anybody can be driven. We'll talk about that at the end of the sermon. It may come natural to others, but that's with anything, folks. That's with anything. I mean, some people may have a, you know, a propensity or, you know, a tendency towards sin that they grew up around or something like that that other people just don't struggle with at all. It works for the good and it works for the bad. But anyone, any saved person can get sin out of their life. And any saved person can become a driven person. Right? That's the beauty of being a Christian. The Bible says that there's nothing that we can't overcome. Here's the second thing. Look at Luke chapter 7. So the first thing that made Paul such a successful Christian was he was driven. Here's the second thing. The second thing is this. He was a sinner. You're like, what? You're like, what? He was there at the slaying of Stephen. He was there. And look, I don't know if he was in charge of the whole thing, but he was certainly part of the leadership that made that happen. He was a great sinner. And you say, how could that possibly benefit him when he got saved and then going forward in his Christian life? Well, I'm going to show you. Look at Luke chapter 7 and look at verse number 37. Look at Luke chapter 7 and verse number 37. Let's look at what the Bible says here. So Paul was a sinner. I mean, we're all sinners, but I mean, he was a great sinner. He was doing some very bad sins in his life before he got saved. Look at Luke chapter 7. And look, many people will think that in their lives. This is a stumbling block for most people. Most people will say, I've messed up the last 30 years, the last 40 years, the last 50 years, whatever. Put it, enter a number. They'll say, I've been so bad. I've messed up so many things in my life. It's like, there's no way I can do anything great for God. Let's look at what the Bible actually says about that. Look at Luke chapter 7 and verse number 37. The Bible says, and behold a woman in the city, which was what? A sinner. Now look, everybody's a sinner, but when it says this, what it's saying is like, she's in sin. She's a harlot or she's a prostitute or she's someone that's not seen as a righteous person. She's not living a righteous life. Which is a sinner when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, excuse me, she brought an alabaster box of ointment and stood at his feet behind him weeping. This is this woman. And began to wash his feet with tears and did wipe them with the hairs of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. And now in the Pharisee, which had bitten him, saw it, he spake within himself saying, this man, it's like, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him, for she is a sinner. What he's saying is, this is an unrighteous person. She's in sin. And Jesus answered him saying, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. He saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors. One owed 500 pence and the other 50. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore which of them will love him the most. So he says, there's two debtors. One owes 500 and the other owes a tenth of that 50. So somebody owes, you know, $100,000 and somebody owes $10,000. And then this man just forgives both of them. Okay, and he says, Simon, and he said, when they had nothing to pay, he forgave them both. Tell me therefore, verse 42, which of them will love him the most? A little different when we think about it this way, isn't it? Look at verse 43. Simon answered and said, I suppose that he to whom he forgave the most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. Turn to 1 Timothy chapter 1. Here's what Jesus was saying. He's saying that the sinner, this woman who's been in sin, and you can already see it before she even gets to Jesus. She's completely humbled before him. She's washing, you know, his feet. She's anointing him. And look, what he's saying is people that have been forgiven much will be much more thankful towards the person that forgave them. That's what Jesus is saying. And that's why Jesus, that's why Jesus, you know, said, I'm here for the sinners. Go to Mark chapter, you're in 1 Timothy chapter 1. Look at verse 15. Paul knew this. Paul knew this throughout his whole life. Paul knew this. He says, this is a faithful saying. And worthy of all exception, he says, that Christ came into the world to save sinners and then look at the last five words. He says, of whom I am chief. I mean, it would just be kind of a common saying that Christ came into the world to save sinners until he says, of whom I am chief. He says, Christ came to save sinners. Yes, we're all have sinned. But he said, I was the worst. So, in 2 Corinthians chapter 11, Paul is talking about how he's working harder, how he'll never stop, how he'll never quit, how he's just loyal to Christ, how he'll never stop. He works, he's in labors more than anybody else. He's in perils more than anybody else. And he will never stop. And all that time he says, I'm also, I was the chiefest of sinners. I was the, of all sinners, I was the worst. He says, you see a pattern here? You see a pattern here? Go to Mark chapter 2 and look at verse number 16. This is a key for the Christian right here. Please do not miss this point. Please do not miss this point. This is a key for the Christian. Paul knew he was the chiefest of sinners. He's giving pastoral advice in Timothy. These are the pastoral epistles, the T books in your Bible. He's giving pastoral advice and he's saying to this young man who's going to be a pastor, he's like, I was the chiefest sinner. Look, shouldn't he be saying, I mean, wouldn't we think he would be saying to Timothy, like, listen, you need to be like me. I'm the greatest. Listen, listen kid, you need to listen to me because I know these scriptures. I talked to Jesus, taught me these scriptures himself. I mean, instead he's saying to this kid, this young man who wants to go into the ministry, he's just like, I was the chiefest of sinners. Look at Mark chapter 2 and verse number 16. The Bible says when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with the publicans and sinners, again, they said unto his disciples, how is that when he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he said unto them, they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Here's the thing folks, what does that mean? What does that mean? Here's what it means. Prideful people will never get saved. That's the first thing you need to understand. Prideful people will never get saved. Why? Because they're prideful. They'll never come to what? They'll never come to repentance. That just means they will never decide to change their mind that they need to be saved, that they're a sinner that needs to be saved. They'll just think that they're great. The first thing you need to understand to be saved is that you're a sinner and that you need to be saved. But you're on your way to hell otherwise. Prideful people will never get saved. You're like, well, we're all saved. Okay, well, here's another thing. Go to Jeremiah chapter 9. The Bible says, you know, pride will destroy you, my friends. Prideful Christians will ruin their lives. Go to Jeremiah chapter 9. Jeremiah chapter 9. And look at verse number 23. Pride goeth before destruction and a haughty spirit before the fall. Before a fall. The Bible says that pride will destroy you. Even Christians. Let me ask you something. When Paul said to Timothy that I was the chiefest of sinners, was that prideful? No. That was humble. That was humility is what Paul was showing there. Look at Jeremiah chapter 9 in verse number 23. Jeremiah chapter 9 in verse number 23. This is what we have to be careful about in our Christian lives right here. Because as you get in your Christian life and you start reading the Bible and you start, look, if you start reading the Bible, you start getting in church, you start soul waiting, you start listening to Bible preaching, you start learning what this book actually has for your life. It's not going to take you too long to like rock it ahead of most normal people. Especially people that are not saved. You're going to start looking at the world and seeing things like this is crazy, like why are people so foolish? But here's the thing. Look at verse number 23 of Jeremiah chapter 9. It says, Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom. So it doesn't say don't be wise. It doesn't say don't be wise. It doesn't say don't know the Bible. It says don't glory in it. Don't glory in the fact that don't be like this person that you learn the Bible, you know how to give the gospel, you know how to get to heaven, and you go to work and you're like, idiot, you go to work and you're just like shoving it down people's throat. People are like, whoa, they don't want to hear it. You're just like morons, foolish people. You're a prideful person. You're glorying in your wisdom, the Bible says. Neither let the mighty man glory in his might. It doesn't say you're not to be mighty. It says don't glory in your might. Let not the rich man glory in his riches. It doesn't say, you know, it's inherently wrong to have a dollar in your pocket. What's wrong is when you have a dollar in your pocket and you're like, ha, you think you're better than everybody because you got a dollar in your pocket. It's like don't glory in these things. Paul didn't glory in those things. He's like, I'm the chief of center. Well, him the glorious in this that he understand and knoweth me that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness judgment and righteousness in the earth for these things. For in these things I delight sayeth the Lord. Look, he was a center. That's why he was great because he knew that he was a center. Prideful Christians will do nothing in their Christian life. Nothing. The opposite of Paul. They will accomplish nothing. Turn to 2 Corinthians chapter 12. The Bible says in Proverbs 11 when pride cometh, then cometh shame. Look, you have to watch constantly in your Christian life for pride. You need to be watching for that animal to creep into your life. You need to be guarding yourself and you need to be guarding your family to me about this. It will destroy any Christian. It will destroy any Christians family. Then cometh shame, destruction. Like the Bible is not like messing around when it talks about what will happen to a prideful person. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 12. The Bible, I mean, God tries to keep us humble. God even did some things in Paul's life to keep him humble. I mean, Paul was the greatest. We can look at that and say Paul did great things for the Lord. He was the greatest evangelist. But God did things to keep him humble. Why? Because he didn't want Paul to become worthless. He didn't want Paul to fall into shame. He didn't want Paul to fall into destruction. He was protecting Paul. Look at 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Look what the Bible says here. This is what Paul says in the very next chapter. He says, And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations. You know that Jesus Christ himself taught Paul for 3 years. You say, where did Paul get all of his knowledge? He got it from Jesus. He got it from Jesus. If Jesus pulled you aside for a few years and decided, you're my pupil now and I'm just going to teach you extra things because I've chosen you and I'm going to teach you these things so you can teach the world these things. Do you think you could stay humble through that? You think you would get a little puffed up about that? Like Jesus chose me. Look what it says here. It says, lest I should be exalted above measure. Paul is saying, in case I would start to think too highly of myself is what he's saying. Through the abundance of the revelations that have given me so much, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh. The messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I should be exalted above measure. Now I don't know what this is. It's some kind of health issue or pain that he has. That's my opinion. It's something in his body that hurts him in his flesh. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice that it might depart from me. It's not three times to take this away from me. You know what God said? God said no. And he said unto me, my grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect. Don't miss this. My strength is made perfect in weakness. You say, I can't do anything great for God because I'm not like Superman. God doesn't use Superman. God doesn't use you know Wayne Johnson or whatever it is. He doesn't use the rock. He doesn't use these powerful people. You know why? Because God wants people to know that it was him that did it. God wants people to know that the victory was his. That's why he said to Gideon. Gideon went to battle with all these men. He's like, no, that's too many. He's like, no, that's too many. No, that's too many. And so Gideon only had 300 men. Everyone wanted to know that it was him that won the battle. Not the men. He says, my grace. God says, no, my grace is sufficient for thee. For my strength is made perfect in weakness. Mostly therefore, will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me. He's like, it's worth it. He's like, it's worth it. This guy is so great. This guy is so great. He really said, I'm not taking away your pain. He's like, God said I'm not taking away your pain so you can keep doing the great things that you're doing. And Paul says if there was a risk that if you took away the pain that I would not be able to do, he's like, no, he's like, I want the power of Christ on me. I don't care what physical pain it cost me, which in the previous chapter we already saw that. All the horrible tribulation that he's going through, trying to kill him, trying to hurt him, actually hurting him, actually almost killing him. He says, whatever it takes that the power of Christ sits on me. God says to him, he's like, no, he's like, I'm not going to give you what you want because it will take you in a direction I don't want you going. And Paul's just like, I'm good with that. He's like, thank God. He says therefore, and not only that, he's thankful for the thorn and the flesh. Therefore, I take pleasure in my infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities. Let me tell you something. This is easier said than done right here. Let me tell you something. These guys, these apostles as we saw in a couple chapters earlier, they were persecuted and they were just joining in persecution. Let me tell you something. I would love to say that that's just an easy thing to do. It's not. When you're getting persecuted, it kind of stinks. But look at look at how much faith he has. Where he just says, I take pleasure in this. I take pleasure in all the bad things that happen to me in distress for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong. I have become a fool in glory. You have compelled me for I ought to have been commended of you for in nothing am I behind the very cheapest apostles though I be nothing. So look, he's against this guy, even his own friends he's just saying, I just glory in all of it. He's like, even this health issue that I had that God said I'm not going to take away. He's like, hey, if that means the power of Christ is still going to rest on me and I can still do great things for the kingdom of God. He's like, thank God for this thorn in the flesh. Because, because he stayed humble and because he recognized that he because he stayed humble, he always remembered when he bring it back to the point that he was the chiefest of sinners and that's why he was able to do great things for Christ. Pride will destroy you as a Christian. You must stay humble, but if you say in your life, oh, you know I've had so much sin in my past you know I've just wrecked so many years of my life. No, Paul was the chief you have no excuse you have no excuse in your life for blaming past sins for doing nothing going forward. Use it. Turn to 2 Samuel chapter 23 you say now, okay, I get it. So what is it? He was driven he was driven and he was a chief sinner those are the two things that Paul used in his life to do great things for the kingdom of God on earth. You say, yeah, what about me? Let's talk about you now turn to 2 Samuel chapter 23 2 Samuel chapter 23 you say, I'm not really a driven person I have a bad past and look, I'm not I'm not pointing anybody out. I'm just saying like anybody could say this in their lives they could say I've done things in my past. I'm just not driven. Look, that's an excuse because you can be you can be a driven person look at David's mighty men in 2 Samuel chapter 23 let's just look at a couple examples of these 37 men that are listed in 2 Samuel chapter 23 just tell me if you think these men sound like they're driven if these men sound like they are the type of men that could accomplish great things in their life look at verse number 8 I'll just give you a couple examples these were the names of the mighty men who David had the Takamite that sat in the seat chief among the captains the same was Edino the Esnite he left up his spear against 800 who he slew at one time the man in one battle killed 800 men with his spear that's pretty impressive I mean I can't even imagine I used to wrestle like I wrestled from second grade until I graduated high school and I don't know how many matches I wrestled in my life but it was a lot and we would wrestle for 6 minutes like 3 2 minute periods and by the time you were done with that 6 minutes you were done can you imagine going into battle and having 800 individual matchups in one day that's a mighty man right there that's a huge accomplishment look at verse 14 and David was then in a hold in the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem and David longed and said so here the Philistines had overrun Bethlehem and David longed and said oh that one would give me a drink of the water out of Bethlehem which is by the gate here the Philistines had overrun this city and they had control of this well and he's just longing for when they had control back of this city he's like oh man if I could just drink out of the well you know what he's saying I wish the Philistines weren't there I wish they hadn't overrun that gate but look at what he says that and look what 3 men do and 3 mighty men break through the host of the Philistines and they had the gate and took it and brought it to David I mean here the king's just he's lamenting over the fact that the Philistines have taken the city he's like oh I could just what he's saying is I wish I had the city back what he's saying is I wish the Philistines wouldn't be there I wish they wouldn't be stronger than us right now to have this city of Bethlehem he's like I wish that wouldn't have happened I wish we could push them out 3 men go through the entire army themselves they get a drink of water and they bring it to the king so I mean that's that's mighty men right there those are brave men and then David nevertheless would he not drink thereof but poured it out unto the Lord he gives the glory to God right he doesn't say you guys are so great and so strong he just gives glory to the Lord look at verse 18 and Abishai the brother of Joab the son of Zariah was chief among 3 and he lift up his spear against 300 and slew them and had the name among 3 look down at verse 20 Baniah, I like Baniah and Baniah the son of Joaida the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel who had done many acts he slew 2 lion like men of Moab he went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in the time of snow and he slew an Egyptian a goodly man in the Egyptian it's even you say look what he did and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand he went down to him with his staff he killed him with his own spear and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand and slew him with his own spear now that's impressive it's like you gotta go and you gotta fight that guy and you gotta kill that guy you're like okay I'm pretty sure I can beat that guy no you gotta do it with his own spear like oh that's different you say okay these are mighty men you know where but where did they come from were they born mighty were they like baby John in the hospital and then they just grew up and they just became mighty they were just really good at fighting they were just really loyal they just grew up they were just really loyal people they were just really good servants of King David I'll show you where they came from go to 1 Samuel chapter 22 go to 1 Samuel chapter 22 look at his worst moment he's running he's running away from Saul for his life years before years before any of this happened he's running for his life he's at his lowest point look at 1 Samuel chapter 22 and look at verse number 1 David is running for his life here there's never a lower point well maybe one but this is a pretty low point but look at verse number 1 it says David therefore departed thence and escaped he's trying to get away from being killed and escaped to the cave Adelam and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it they went down thither to him and everyone but look people followed him and everyone that was in distress everyone that was in debt and everyone that was discontented gathered themselves unto him and he became a captain over them and they were with him about this wasn't the women and children here they were with him about 400 men David created the mighty men out of this batch of losers these were people they had nothing they were discontented that means they weren't happy with anything that was going on they were in debt they were they weren't successful people here these people they didn't make good decisions they were in distress people didn't like them these people I mean by all by all intents and purposes these people were losers I mean if you read this David turned them into mighty men they became David's mighty men out of this batch of 400 here's what I'm trying to get you to understand anyone can become a mighty man for the Lord or a mighty woman for the Lord anyone why for the same reasons as Paul for the same reasons as the mighty men turned to Ecclesiastes chapter 9 turned to Ecclesiastes chapter 9 look what the Bible says here I mean look you say I'm just not driven you know I'm just not a driven person you say I am not strong I'm not driven but look what the Bible says in Ecclesiastes chapter 9 verse number 10 it says if you can't find it to do it says do it with thy might for there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave with a thou goest you know what I'm saying it's saying whatever you have to do on this earth when you're alive you do it as hard as you can possibly do it that's what Paul was doing when we see Paul when we see Saul on the scene in Acts chapter 8 with a Pharisee with all his might he's going at this job that he has with all his might and it's funny because God actually uses weak people if you look at the story in Judges chapter 11 read it when you get home I mean the Bible says that you know the Lord said in the Gideon says they that are with you are too many for me he says over and over again because God wanted Gideon to know that it was him it was the Lord that won the battle he uses weak people throughout the Bible all the time all the time turn to Philippians chapter 4 actually turn to Philippians chapter 3 but Philippians chapter 4 13 says but I'm not strong but guess what the Bible says I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me look we're not talking about you don't have to kill 800 people with a spirit folks we're fighting a spiritual battle here as Christians you know we're not in a physical battle but look you have to have the same type of fortitude you have to have the same type of strength you know you have to have strength in your life but you can do all those things through Christ the Bible says look at Philippians chapter 3 I mean so the first thing look the first thing is this the first thing you needed to do obviously you need to be saved to do great things for Christ in your life you need to have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ on Jesus Christ alone and been sealed by the Holy Spirit what's that mean you've let go of any belief in yourself any belief that you have to work your way to heaven any belief that you can be good enough to get to heaven all you deserve as hell all you've done is sin against the Lord you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ you're saved in a moment you're saved forever the first I mean look if you're not saved today you need to talk to somebody after church but the first thing you need to do to do great things for Christ in your life is be saved but the second thing chapter 3 says brethren I count myself not I count not myself to have apprehended but this one thing I do for getting those things which are behind and reaching forth under those things which are before and then look what he says here's that drive again he says I press towards the mark for the prize of the high calling of Christ Jesus look you got to work hard in the right direction is what he's saying Paul was driven for Christ just as much as he was driven against him he was a driven person but here's the thing here's the secret I mean being a driven person is a sermon series in itself but being a driven person it means like I mean what's he doing it says I press toward the mark right he's constantly you got to think about this for a second to be a driven person you say I'm not driven here's your problem think about in what was the verse think about in Acts chapter 1 and verse 10 or 11 where the angel looks at the man and says you know why he's standing gazing up to heaven Jesus was just ascended into heaven and they're all just standing there you better start pressing so here's the first thing you need to understand about being driven quit standing around you're like I want to be driven at work don't stand around like I'm not I don't have anything to do right now find something to do this is what driven people do this is what you're like there's this guy that I work with he's super driven that's what he does he's never standing around he's always like I've done this task he's looking for something else to do and look you may go up and be this annoying guy that just started a job and goes up to the boss and he's like what do I do next or what do I do next but pretty soon if you keep doing that long enough you're going to know what comes next you're going to learn what to do next you won't have to ask anymore and guess what then you're just going to be oh this kid's motivated at least they'll appreciate that today don't get me wrong I mean believe me but pretty soon you're going to figure out because you're being driven because you're motivated you're going to figure out what comes next and then you're a driven person it's learn to behavior it's trying to get you to understand it's learn behavior I mean reading a book isn't going to make you this way reading some self help book isn't going to make you a driven person I'm sorry it's not standing around the Bible's telling us the angel's like why are you standing there what's Paul saying he's doing he's like I'm pressing I'm constantly pressing so what happens when you're pressing on something what happens when I press on something I just wrecked a hymnal I press on something and it falls over I go find something else to press on just keep pressing on things and pressing and pressing and pressing I'm not going to push the pulpit over but the point is that he was always pressing towards the mark and he said he said in verse 13 just one verse before he says I'm never going to be done with this task he's like I'm not done I don't count it he's like I've done great things he's like I count not myself to have apprehended he's like I'm going to keep pressing you want to be driven in your life that's what you do you keep pressing always you don't sit at work you don't sit at home and be like oh you know I've got you know nothing to do right now and then you just like because you can train yourself to be lazy as well you can train yourself to be lazy just as much as you can train yourself to constantly be pressing but you have to train yourself to be that way okay anybody can be driven anyone see but here's what people do here's what the vast majority of people do in their lives here's what people do at work here's what people do in group situations here's what they do they match the speed of the slowest person that's what you see in work environments that's what you see in groups of people the slowest person is going 20 miles an hour what kind of just matches that comfort speed and that's what they do you've got to be the driven person that's constantly pressing and then you'll be able to accomplish great things in your life and especially and look guess what if you're driven in your life you'll be driven for Christ I mean isn't that what we see with Paul turn to Luke chapter 9 anybody can be driven but it is learned behavior folks you just you do them again and again and again and again you train yourself to constantly be pressing that will pay off for you in every part of your life I guarantee it turn to Luke chapter 9 so you say well how about this let's look at the second one and apply it to our lives past sins Paul was chief of the sinners I was chief you're like I got too many past sins you know I can't accomplish anything for Christ in my life look at Luke chapter 9 and verse number 59 Luke chapter 9 and verse number 59 look what the Bible says here Jesus is pretty big on what should stop you from serving him he kind of lists things out like here's the things here's the things that are okay for you to not serve me and he kind of gives some examples here like you're like I can't serve I can't serve the Lord and here's why let's see if it's on the list okay look at verse number 59 Luke chapter 9 and he said follow me but he said so Jesus is going he's saying to people follow me follow me I mean what did he do to the first four fishermen what did he do he just said let's go and they just drop their nets and they followed him but look what this guy says he says Lord solve for me first to go bury my father I mean that's pretty reasonable right the guys like I mean I'm assuming the guys being literal here the guys like my dad just died let me just go like let me go put him in the ground go to the funeral I'll be right there and Jesus is like okay no problem look what he says Jesus says let the dead bury their dead ouch but go down preach the kingdom of God the guys like I can't go to church my dad just died I can't follow you I can't go preach the gospel I'll be there tomorrow Jesus is like let the dead bury the dead let's get going I mean is that sheep Jesus is that long here at hippie Jesus I mean that's he's serious here I mean he's not messing around and another said Lord I will follow thee but let me first go bid them farewell which are at my house I mean that's pretty reasonable he's like let me go say goodbye to my mommy and Jesus said no man having put his hand to the plow and looking back is fit for the kingdom of God he's like I want to go just say goodbye to my family and Jesus is like stay there is Jesus messing around here he's telling us does he say what did you do 10 years ago no he says let's go he says let's go look this is Christianity 101 and this might be the thing that I preach the most but here's what you need to understand anything that gets you out of church anything that especially you soul winners you listen up the satan wants you to stop soul winning we got people saved today satan doesn't want that satan doesn't want somebody open in a bible and preaching the gospel to somebody and leading them from death to life he will do anything to make that stop can't get your salvation from you he can't take your salvation away he can get you out of church though he can get you to stop soul winning though he can look anything that turns your heart and gets you to stop doing the first works is bad this is not a 400 level Christianity course that I'm teaching you right now this is Christianity 101 anything that gets you out of church is bad anything that stops you from the first works is bad even going back to bury your father let the dead bury their dead because I mean these are dangerous situations you get out of church things slide down hill your heart turns look that kind of thing if you allow it to happen can curse you your whole life and you will be the you will be the opposite of somebody that does great things for the lord in your life because look these men turn to 2nd Samuel chapter 15 these mighty men these mighty men were not with David for 5 seconds they were not with David for 30 days they were not with David for 6 months they were with David for a long time look at 2nd Samuel chapter 15 2nd Samuel chapter 15 they were loyal men they were loyal men to David look at itai in 2nd Samuel chapter 15 in verse number 19 look folks you got to have some loyalty in your life or you're never going to have any friends I'm not saying be blindly loyal to somebody who's in sin I mean that's stupid but you got to have some loyalty in your life if you want to be consistent in your Christian life you can't be just somebody that's just like one day I'm loyal one day I'm not one day you're my friend you'll never do anything in your life being unstable like that these were loyal men and that's why they're so successful look at verse number 19 this is itai the getai when David's being chased out of his kingdom by his own son then said the king to itai the getai one of the guys that was following with him had just arrived he just got there and he wasn't even from he wasn't even from the nation of Israel he wasn't even from Judah then said the king to itai the getai wherefore go us thou also with us he's like why are you coming with us return to thy place and abide with the king for thou art a stranger and also an exile where as thou came us but yesterday the guy just showed up should I this day make thee go up and down with us seeing that I go with her I may return thou and then back thy brethren mercy and truth be with thee and itai answered the king he's saying why are you coming with us you just got here yesterday you're not even from here he's like you're a foreigner this guy was a Philistine he's like why are you here why are you like involving yourself in this trouble and itai's like yeah you're right because itai's like this is the kind of guy itai was he's like I'm with you oh it's going to be bad oh I'm not with you oh I'm with you oh I'm not with you look what itai says he says in itai answered the king and said as the lord liveth as long as god's alive that means what forever infinity and as my lord the king liveth surely in what place my lord the king shall be even there also will thy servant be he's like you know what as long as god's alive and you're alive he's like I'm with you buddy that's what he answers the king this guy doesn't falter he's a newcomer he was a foreigner he was a Philistine loyalty is an important trait I mean you will never have long lasting friendships if you're not a loyal person I mean that's why I love the red hot I love going to the red hot because I see friends that I've had friends for years and years and years and years and years there some of them will be there next year some of them I won't see until the you know three more red hots but we'll see each other in three or four years and it'll be like we never missed a day that's a great blessing in your life so the point is the past back to the point the past the past should not bring you down it should motivate you it should motivate you how did it motivate paul it kept him humble it kept him humble and you know here's the thing another thing you'll see is that like many times people that have gone through bad things in their lives they will many times be a great blessing to people because they went through those bad things they will notice they will notice dangers they will notice dangers that other people will not notice I mean I'll just give you a good example it's just alcohol somebody that grew up with maybe somebody a parent or somebody that was an alcoholic will be very in tune to the dangers of alcohol whereas if you know somebody that just never really grew up around that might fall into that sin easier hopefully I preach enough about sin that everyone scared to death about these types of sins here but the point is that you could be because of your past sins going forward in your Christian life it's a great blessing we've had that happen here where people had bad things in their life and they were just great blessings to other people because they had that wisdom and that knowledge and that understanding of you know wicked people in this world that would do certain wicked things so here's the thing your past should motivate you Jesus says don't even look back it should never slow you down never so here's the thing let me rephrase that anyone can do great things for Christ in their life anybody can be a powerhouse for Christ in their Christian life you don't need fame look you don't need money look you don't even need time turn to Ecclesiastes chapter 8 turn to Ecclesiastes chapter I'm sorry chapter 7 many people will say many people will say well you know I'm older so I can't do as much in my Christian life because I'm an older person you know Moses was 80 before he even went to Pharaoh he was 80 years old before he even went to Pharaoh to try to get the people out of Egypt look at Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse number 8 you don't even need time you don't even have to tell yourself I'm too old to start over look I got saved later in life this could have been me look at Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse number 8 the Bible says better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof and the patient in spirit is better than the there it is again proud in spirit the Bible says ending well is better the Bible says I mean hey at least you got to the truth now let's end well if you were I mean this is what I'd tell to somebody they got saved when they were 98 years old it's like hey let's end well you know because the ending is better the Bible says it right there Paul didn't just sit down and just lament his time as a Pharisee he didn't but you know what he didn't do he didn't play down his sin either he just said he used he used that sin in his life he used that past in his life to keep him humble and by staying humble and becoming a driven person he was just a power house for Christ and any single person in this church could do the same thing you stay humble use your past sins to keep you humble like you know look back at your life look back at your life and consider yourself the person that was forgiven 100,000 consider yourself the person that was forgiven the 500 and not the one that was considered 50 don't ever say to yourself yeah you know but even when I was unsaved I was pretty good no you were on your way to help don't take your salvation for granted start there that will keep you humble and if you keep that humility and you become this driven person the Bible says you should become you will do I'm telling you you will do great things for Christ in your life you will do great things for this church you will do great things for the kingdom of God you will be a prophet there will be scores of people in heaven because of you because of you going out and just preaching the gospel to people that could be anybody you too can do great things just like Paul did and you know what for the exact same reasons let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer