One of the key ingredients in winning the European campaign of World War II, was the allied ability to break the German “enigma” code.
Early in the war the Nazis devised a code which enabled their ships and submarines to communicate with Berlin without the Allies being able to understand.
And because of that communication, German submarines sunk over a thousand ships and were dangerously close to driving Great Britain into surrender.
It was absolutely essential that the United States, Canada and England break that code.
And it was almost as important that they break the code without Germany being aware of it, so that they could then monitor any future communications.
Eventually this was exactly what they were able to do.
About 8:30 the other night I turned on the television and caught the end of recently made movie.
It was dedicated to the sailors on both sides of the Atlantic who lost their lives trying to capture German ships carrying this Enigma coding equipment.
After I saw the ending, the movie was run again, and I was able then to see the beginning.
It began with the hero of the story, being passed over for a promotion to captain his own submarine.
He was a brilliant and proficient seaman, who had all the skills necessary to go into battle, except one:
He was afraid that in a moment of crisis the hero wouldn’t be able to command his men to stand in harm’s way.
He would most certainly be able to give his life in order to do his duty, but the question was whether or not he could command others to give their lives.
As only Hollywood could say it,
it would be necessary that the entire crew die rather than to fall into the hands of the enemy.
A day or so later, Bro. Asmundson and I were talking, and the subject of Hiroshima and Nagasaki came up.
There are still people around the world today, who are very angry with the United States for the decision to drop the atom bomb on Japan.
Among other reasons, a huge number of people lost their lives in the explosion of those two bombs.
There are some who say that one civilian life lost in war is too many.
And there are others who say that the thousands who died in those two cities actually saved the lives of a million more.
I suppose that the debate will never really be resolved.
What is the value of life?
I promise that this will be the last message from this section of Acts 20.
Paul was being told that if he proceeded to Jerusalem, he would end up in chains or even worse.
His friends were pleading with him not to go to Jerusalem.
Paul was aware of their concerns and their love, and he was also aware that it was the Holy Spirit who was making these revelations.
But then as we have seen, he said: “But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
We have looked at just about every corner of this verse, except one:
“Neither count I my life dear unto myself.”
As in that movie the other night, Paul raises the question about the value of life.
Without pretending to fully know the answer to this question,
When we hear about a senseless murder, the death of a child in his crib, or a car accident, every Christian should grieve at least just a little.
One reason is because we know that nine times out of ten that auto fatality involved a lost person.
That should mean something to us.
But it goes without saying that when death falls upon someone whom we love, the loss is more keenly felt.
Life is dear to those who love THAT life; that person is dear to those who love that person.
And conversely, if there is no grief, or no sense of loss, then the people involved weren’t loved ones.
Imagine the people of Ephesus, Philippi or Caesarea, weeping over Paul as he stepped on board the ship bound for Jerusalem.
I know that Paul sounded brave and stalwart as he said “good-bye.”
“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy.”
But listen carefully once again to Acts 21:13 as Paul was preparing to walk up from Caesarea:
The knowledge that our life is dear to the heart of someone else should mean something to us.
It should warm us and motivate us.
To know that we are dear to a parent, a spouse, or a child should give us impetus to try to be the best person that we can be – for their sake, if for no other reason.
We should hate the thought of letting that person down or causing them shame.
I have been involved in the funerals of two suicides and one murder.
The murder was a terrible case which I hope that I will never have to repeat, but the suicides were far more difficult.
For someone to take his own life, is one of the most COWARDLY things that anyone can do.
It’s a stupid attempt to run away from responsibility.
It is a complete disregard for the fact that, to someone else, that person’s life is precious.
I suppose that someone who believed the revelation that Paul was walking into the jaws of a lion, might have said that it was suicide, but it was not.
There is a difference between walking into danger and taking one’s own life.
There is a difference in leaving our life or death in the hands of God and taking it into our own hands.
There is a difference between signing a “Do not Resuscitate” form and putting a gun to our own head.
And just because our life is dear to someone else, that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t enter that danger.
The weeping of Paul’s friends may indeed have broken his heart, but he felt the impulse of the Holy Spirit to keep going and to complete his duty.
Your life is dear to the people who love you.
a German destroyer was bent on destroying their submarine and killing them.
The more important the mission the more precious are the lives of people trying to carry out that mission.
Paul was on his way to Jerusalem with the intention of placing in the hands of the church, the free-will offerings of the brethren in Macedonia and Achaia.
This was important, not only for the suffering-saints in Jerusalem,
It wasn’t that there weren’t others who could preach to them.
But Paul felt that he had a special relationship to those Jews who would be in Jerusalem from Macedonia, Achaia, Rome and beyond.
Perhaps no one else was better equipped to give them the gospel in a manner that they could understand than was Paul.
In Romans 10 when Paul was talking about beautiful feet, this was a part of what he meant.
“For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”
That person may be extremely important to your soul, because he is the last person to talk to you about the glorious grace of God, exhorting you to repent and to trust Christ.
Do you want to make YOUR life worth something?
Then take up a cause that is worth something.
And I’m not talking about saving the whales or the spotted owls.
There is nothing more important than the spreading of the truth of God.
But I think that we’d agree that if Bill Gates gave you a $1,000 it wouldn’t be a sacrifice at all.
For someone like the creator of Microsoft, perhaps even a million dollars wouldn’t be a sacrifice.
Paul said, “neither count I my life dear UNTO MYSELF.”
That was his humble opinion about himself, but it was not an expression about the Lord’s opinion.
II Corinthians 8:9 – “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.”
That is an almost euphemistic way of talking about the sacrifice that the Son of God made to save a bunch of worthless sinners.
Then there is Philippians 2:5 – “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
If Bill Gates wrote a check, made out to you, for every dime of his fortune, it wouldn’t begin to illustrate the price that Christ made to save your wicked soul.
There is no human language capable of accurately describing how dear, as a saint, you are to the Lord.
Romans 5 – “When we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”
Your true worth is not conditional upon what things you are able to do.
If the Lord thinks that you are dear enough to warrant the death of Christ, then your value is inestimable.
Doesn’t he say that he wouldn’t be able to finish his course with joy, if he considered his life dear unto himself?
Wasn’t he saying that his life was valuable ONLY if it was spent carrying out the will of the Lord?
What was the Lord Jesus saying in Mark 8:34?
“When he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?
Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Listen to these scriptures:
“He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.”
“If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.”
“It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him.
“For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
“According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death.
“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all.”
“And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.”
There is a sense in which our value to the Lord greatly increases as we consider our lives less valuable to ourselves.
Because the less valuable that we think ourselves to be, the more valuable we are to the Lord.
I don’t think that Paul deliberately put himself in harm’s way unnecessarily.
Paul wanted to join them and was willing that his life come to an end along side theirs,
but the brethren and some his friends in the government, convinced him not to enter the arena.
And he did not go.
But he left those cities and avoided those situations, only because it was the will of God, not because of cowardice.
What Paul was saying with these words in Acts 20:24 was that he wanted to be the most useful servant to his Master that he could be.
And likewise, if YOU want your life to be truly “dear,”
Then you need to make it more precious towards the people who love you;