A Tearful Presbytery Meeting (Acts 20:17-38)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.320 --> 00:00:03.960 Please remain standing, if you're able, and let's turn to acts, Chapter 2 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:11.589 Twenty, acts twenty verses seventeen through thirty eight, acts twenty, verse seventeen. 3 00:00:12.830 --> 00:00:14.990 Said this a little sooner, but this is page nine, hundred and 4 00:00:14.990 --> 00:00:20.030 twenty nine, and they this Bible here, if you have that one now 5 00:00:20.149 --> 00:00:24.219 from my leadus. He, that is Paul, sent to Ephesus and called 6 00:00:24.300 --> 00:00:27.379 the elders of the church to come to him, and when they came to 7 00:00:27.420 --> 00:00:32.259 him, he said to them. You yourselves know how I lived among you 8 00:00:33.140 --> 00:00:35.969 the whole time, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 9 00:00:36.770 --> 00:00:42.009 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to 10 00:00:42.130 --> 00:00:47.009 me through the plots of the Jews, how I did not shrink from declaring 11 00:00:47.130 --> 00:00:51.719 to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to 12 00:00:51.799 --> 00:00:57.520 house, testifying both to dus and to Greeks of the repentance toward God and 13 00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:02.200 of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now behold, I am going 14 00:01:02.320 --> 00:01:06.310 to Jerusalem, constrained by the spirit, not knowing what will happen to me 15 00:01:06.390 --> 00:01:11.670 there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment 16 00:01:11.709 --> 00:01:15.390 and affliction awaits me, but I do not count my life of any value, 17 00:01:15.950 --> 00:01:21.299 nor is precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and 18 00:01:21.420 --> 00:01:26.659 the ministry that I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the 19 00:01:26.739 --> 00:01:30.379 gospel of the great of God. And now behold, I know that none 20 00:01:30.420 --> 00:01:34.810 of them, of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the Kingdom, 21 00:01:34.370 --> 00:01:38.969 will see my face again. Therefore, I testify to you this day that 22 00:01:40.010 --> 00:01:42.010 I am innocent of the blood of all of you, for I did not 23 00:01:42.170 --> 00:01:48.120 shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to 24 00:01:48.200 --> 00:01:52.879 yourselves and to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers 25 00:01:53.400 --> 00:01:57.239 to care for the Church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 26 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:00.709 I know that my after my departure, fierce wolves will come in among 27 00:02:00.790 --> 00:02:06.549 you, not sparing the flock, and from among your own selves will arise 28 00:02:06.670 --> 00:02:12.189 men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be 29 00:02:12.270 --> 00:02:15.819 alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease, night or day, 30 00:02:15.900 --> 00:02:21.219 to admonish everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and 31 00:02:21.340 --> 00:02:23.659 to the word of His grace. Which is able to build you up and 32 00:02:23.780 --> 00:02:29.819 to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no 33 00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:34.930 one's silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to 34 00:02:35.009 --> 00:02:38.689 my necessities and to those who are with me in all things. I have 35 00:02:38.849 --> 00:02:42.930 shown you that by working hard in this way, we must help the weak 36 00:02:43.530 --> 00:02:46.960 and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said it is 37 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:52.680 more blessed to give than to receive. And when he had said all these 38 00:02:52.719 --> 00:02:55.719 things, he knelt down and prayed with them all, and there was much 39 00:02:55.840 --> 00:03:00.629 weeping on the part of all. They embraced Paul and kissed him, being 40 00:03:00.789 --> 00:03:05.669 sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would 41 00:03:05.710 --> 00:03:10.750 not see his face again, and they accompanied him to the ship. May 42 00:03:10.789 --> 00:03:16.099 God bless his word to us, maybe seated. Let's consider God's word now. 43 00:03:19.099 --> 00:03:23.900 Let's consider a little further and a little deeper into what this office of 44 00:03:24.139 --> 00:03:30.610 elder is and what it means for us. Is is his people as his 45 00:03:30.770 --> 00:03:37.250 church. There are different words that are used in the Bible for elder. 46 00:03:37.569 --> 00:03:44.599 One is presbyter. We have this word. Sometimes it's translated this in scriptures 47 00:03:44.639 --> 00:03:47.919 and we use it in English and it's just the transliteration of a Greek word. 48 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:53.879 transliteration is just when you take the spelling in one language and just kind 49 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:58.710 of transfer all the letters into English or whatever language you're after. So the 50 00:03:58.789 --> 00:04:01.270 word in Greek is just Pres Buddhas right. It sounds familiar. So we 51 00:04:01.389 --> 00:04:05.270 basically are just using the Greek word presbyter when we talk about the elders. 52 00:04:06.110 --> 00:04:11.659 The same as true of another word, although it's not transliterated. We we 53 00:04:11.780 --> 00:04:15.740 use an English the word Bishop for the word overseer. So I believe it's 54 00:04:15.779 --> 00:04:23.939 in verse twenty. NOPE, that's too soon. But he called also, 55 00:04:24.610 --> 00:04:28.209 he tells them to he tells these presbyters, these elders. There it is 56 00:04:28.250 --> 00:04:31.250 verse Twenty Eight. Pay careful attention to yourselves, into all the flock in 57 00:04:31.290 --> 00:04:36.490 which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers or bishops. Episcopops is the word. 58 00:04:36.610 --> 00:04:43.360 There took care for the Church of God. So we make no distinction 59 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:48.160 between the elder and the Bishop or the presbyter and the Bishop, because scripture 60 00:04:48.240 --> 00:04:54.230 makes no distinction. Paul calls the elders to himself and he tells them to 61 00:04:54.350 --> 00:05:02.310 be bishops. So we've just ordained bishop has. So in a few weeks, 62 00:05:02.350 --> 00:05:09.579 actually in October, the ministers and elders from Arizona and southern California and 63 00:05:09.699 --> 00:05:15.100 one from Hawaii will gather together in Redlands, California for a presbyter meeting, 64 00:05:15.139 --> 00:05:21.730 or we call it a presbytery meeting. It's because these presbyters get together and 65 00:05:23.930 --> 00:05:30.050 meet to discuss theological issues, to establish church plants, other things are regarding 66 00:05:30.250 --> 00:05:34.250 in need of the church. Well, this practice, along with the Office 67 00:05:34.250 --> 00:05:38.319 of elder, is not something new and we have an example of that right 68 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:45.000 here in scripture. A presbytery meeting, a meeting of the Presbyters, called 69 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:49.629 by the Apostle Paul. In verse seventeen, he calls them. He sent 70 00:05:50.069 --> 00:05:55.870 from my leadas he sends to Ephesus, and he says I want the PRESBYTER's 71 00:05:55.910 --> 00:05:59.910 I want the elders of the church to come. I have we need to 72 00:05:59.949 --> 00:06:03.300 meet, I have something to say. And in this chapter, in the 73 00:06:03.339 --> 00:06:09.420 last part of this chapter, we have the account of Paul's farewell speech, 74 00:06:10.660 --> 00:06:15.779 a very important speech, in which he talks to them about what they're supposed 75 00:06:15.819 --> 00:06:19.290 to do. You can imagine the situation and he describes it a little bit 76 00:06:19.370 --> 00:06:25.209 here. He's been there with them for three years, so a significant amount 77 00:06:25.209 --> 00:06:29.209 of time to get close to someone, especially when he talks about he says 78 00:06:29.209 --> 00:06:32.079 this. It wasn't just a public ministry that he did, but it was 79 00:06:32.120 --> 00:06:35.560 a private one too. He says, from house to house, I admonished 80 00:06:35.600 --> 00:06:40.879 you. With tears, he says he admonished you. He was there with 81 00:06:41.079 --> 00:06:45.680 them, in their lives, knowing them, their situations, praying for them, 82 00:06:45.720 --> 00:06:51.670 helping them, serving them, working hard and with some personal cost. 83 00:06:53.790 --> 00:06:56.550 We have read, if you go back and you read these chapters, and 84 00:06:56.589 --> 00:07:00.230 actually I'll read, that there were riots going on over Paul's Ministry in Ephesus. 85 00:07:01.620 --> 00:07:09.620 Lives were at risk, there were dangerous things and he says I'm probably 86 00:07:09.740 --> 00:07:14.019 going to face more persecution because in every city that I've already been, the 87 00:07:14.100 --> 00:07:17.529 Holy Spirit testifies to me, everywhere I go, that I face persecution, 88 00:07:17.930 --> 00:07:23.329 I face trials, I faced difficulties. This has been Paul's life and it 89 00:07:23.449 --> 00:07:28.290 will be Paul's life. He expects this, and so he has given himself 90 00:07:28.730 --> 00:07:35.600 his very life again and again and again for these men and the church as 91 00:07:35.639 --> 00:07:42.240 a whole. So now, after three years of this, he's saying, 92 00:07:42.360 --> 00:07:47.990 brothers, I'm leaving now. I love you. You know I love you. 93 00:07:48.269 --> 00:07:51.750 I've taken care of you, I've been with you, but it's time 94 00:07:51.829 --> 00:07:57.269 for me to go and I'm not going to see you again. So there 95 00:07:57.350 --> 00:08:00.220 was a lot of hugging and kissing. We read at the end of this 96 00:08:00.379 --> 00:08:09.939 presbytery meeting as they saw him away and wished him well. It's a remarkable 97 00:08:11.740 --> 00:08:16.129 it's a remarkable passage, not only because we get a sense of what Paul's 98 00:08:16.209 --> 00:08:20.930 ministry was like, but we see the connection between the foundation of the Apostolic 99 00:08:22.050 --> 00:08:26.680 Ministry and what life is to go what's is to go on after that apostle 100 00:08:26.759 --> 00:08:33.039 leaves. What is the church supposed to look like after the Apostle and the 101 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:39.720 apostles leave? We see it right here in act twenty. Paul tells them 102 00:08:39.919 --> 00:08:41.870 this is what it's supposed to be like, this is what it's supposed to 103 00:08:41.870 --> 00:08:46.389 do. He's told Timothy and Titus, I want you to appoint elders, 104 00:08:46.470 --> 00:08:50.389 I want you to establish men in these churches. Why? To do this 105 00:08:50.549 --> 00:08:56.019 kind of work, work that he describes, and Timothy and tied us and 106 00:08:56.539 --> 00:09:01.580 work that he describes here as well. So we have this is a very 107 00:09:01.620 --> 00:09:05.740 important passage for us to pay attention to when we think about the Office of 108 00:09:05.899 --> 00:09:09.330 ruling elder. What are they supposed to be doing? Who? What kind 109 00:09:09.409 --> 00:09:13.649 of people are they supposed to be? Why do we have them? What 110 00:09:13.850 --> 00:09:20.210 is Jesus doing as he rules the church through them? Heinrich Bullinger, a 111 00:09:20.330 --> 00:09:24.759 sixteen century Swiss reformer, said this about this passage, about Paul speech. 112 00:09:24.759 --> 00:09:30.519 Here he says it's elegant beyond measure and not any less useful, especially to 113 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:35.240 those who, as prefects of the church, sufficiently uphold a perilous office. 114 00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:41.149 If they are wise, they will want to reflect night and day on Paul 115 00:09:41.269 --> 00:09:48.389 Speech. But we won't do that all all day long, but we will 116 00:09:48.389 --> 00:09:54.059 spend a little time of reflecting on what Paul says here. The first thing 117 00:09:54.179 --> 00:09:58.299 to know is, or that I want to draw your attention to, is 118 00:09:58.340 --> 00:10:03.019 that Paul draws attention to himself. Right he says they're at the beginning of 119 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:09.330 the his speech. He says in verse eighteen, you yourselves know how I 120 00:10:09.570 --> 00:10:13.570 lived among you from the whole time that I first from the first day that 121 00:10:13.610 --> 00:10:16.049 I set foot in Asia. So he's like, from the moment I got 122 00:10:16.289 --> 00:10:20.600 here you've known me and what kind of man that I am. And he 123 00:10:20.720 --> 00:10:26.360 goes on through the rest of his speech to describe his ministry, to describe 124 00:10:26.399 --> 00:10:28.960 the kinds of things that he has been doing, and then he can concludes 125 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.399 at all in verse Thirty Five, when he says, in all things, 126 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:37.909 I have shown you that by working hard in this way, we must now, 127 00:10:37.029 --> 00:10:41.750 so that there's the we. We must help the weak and remember the 128 00:10:41.950 --> 00:10:45.870 words of our Lord of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said it is 129 00:10:45.950 --> 00:10:50.500 more blessed to give than to receive. So you see what Paul does. 130 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:54.659 He stands before these elders and he says, I want you to follow my 131 00:10:54.940 --> 00:11:00.299 example. I have lived this way among you, not only to Minister Christ, 132 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:03.059 to you, but he's been training them, he's been teaching them, 133 00:11:03.139 --> 00:11:09.169 he's been showing them what it means to live as an overseer, as a 134 00:11:09.370 --> 00:11:13.769 bishop, as an elder, as a presbyter of God's flock, as those 135 00:11:13.850 --> 00:11:18.529 who are called to, as he says in Verse Twenty Eight, care for 136 00:11:18.720 --> 00:11:26.399 the Church of God, one that is infinitely valuable, how so? Because 137 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:31.879 it was obtained by the very blood of Christ. Have you ever been given 138 00:11:31.919 --> 00:11:37.549 something responsible, something valuable kids, have your parents ever handed you something and 139 00:11:37.710 --> 00:11:43.429 said now be careful, don't break it. Can you imagine being handed something 140 00:11:43.509 --> 00:11:48.139 that Jesus paid for with his own blood and said be careful, don't break 141 00:11:48.220 --> 00:11:54.860 it? Perilous work, Heinrich bullinger calls it, and rightly so. That's 142 00:11:54.899 --> 00:11:58.139 what Paul talks about it in those in terms as well. In those terms 143 00:11:58.139 --> 00:12:03.049 as well, he talks about his own danger, or his own dangers that 144 00:12:03.129 --> 00:12:05.529 were posed to him, and he talks about his bravery in that. Multiple 145 00:12:05.570 --> 00:12:09.929 Times he says, I did not shrink from there were moments where they were 146 00:12:09.929 --> 00:12:15.960 required courage on his behalf, moments where there was pressure and trials and he 147 00:12:16.200 --> 00:12:20.799 had to stay a true what did he stay true to? Well, verse 148 00:12:20.840 --> 00:12:24.519 twenty seven, for example. I did not shrink from declaring to you the 149 00:12:24.679 --> 00:12:30.909 whole counsel of God. He talks about this in other ways, about proclaiming 150 00:12:31.070 --> 00:12:37.990 the kingdom, about being constrained to teach the truths of Jesus, Verse Twenty 151 00:12:37.029 --> 00:12:43.029 One, testifying both to the Jews and to the Greeks of repentance toward God 152 00:12:43.389 --> 00:12:46.779 and of Faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. See, as Paul does, 153 00:12:46.899 --> 00:12:54.620 this work in the church, amazing work. We see his outstanding bravery at 154 00:12:54.779 --> 00:12:58.929 all times and in all places, public, private, to the Jews, 155 00:12:58.090 --> 00:13:01.970 to the Greeks. From the beginning, he from the moment he arrived to 156 00:13:03.090 --> 00:13:07.850 the moment he got on the boat to leave, Paul was consistent in proclaiming 157 00:13:07.049 --> 00:13:11.919 and and bringing to them this word of Christ, word of God, the 158 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:16.879 Kingdom of God. And now he says to these elders, you have seen 159 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:24.000 that, and now it's your turn to follow. But notice he doesn't, 160 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:28.429 though. He gives his own example and cause them to follow him. It's 161 00:13:28.629 --> 00:13:33.029 under something even bigger than that. Again, remember how he ends. He 162 00:13:33.190 --> 00:13:37.350 says, in all things, I have shown you that by working hard in 163 00:13:37.470 --> 00:13:39.230 this way, we must help the weak. And remember the words of the 164 00:13:39.350 --> 00:13:46.019 Lord Jesus, how he himself said it is more blessed to give than to 165 00:13:46.179 --> 00:13:50.419 receive. You see, Paul is saying what we all say in evangelism and 166 00:13:50.500 --> 00:13:56.769 what we say and discipleship, which is come followed me. I'm following Jesus, 167 00:13:58.490 --> 00:14:03.610 or to put it another way, come follow Jesus with me. That's 168 00:14:03.649 --> 00:14:07.889 what Paul has been saying to them in his words, in his life and 169 00:14:07.049 --> 00:14:13.879 his actions. He's been teaching them that is, it is more blessed to 170 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:24.039 give than to receive. So what does he mean by that? That's something 171 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:28.110 that I think many people, even non Christians, will affirm. It's more 172 00:14:28.230 --> 00:14:31.789 blessed to give than receive. You don't want to be under the debts of 173 00:14:31.909 --> 00:14:37.669 other people, for example, or there is a really nice feeling in giving. 174 00:14:37.549 --> 00:14:43.899 Is another argument. There's all kinds of ways in which unbelievers might affirm 175 00:14:43.019 --> 00:14:48.539 this truth. It's more blessed to give than to receive. I'm Calvin says 176 00:14:50.460 --> 00:14:56.929 somewhat funny. I think. He says they people will receive this, however, 177 00:14:58.009 --> 00:15:01.490 but they they nod with donkeys ears. He says there's this sort of 178 00:15:01.570 --> 00:15:07.049 agreement with it, but a foolishness and an ignorance of it as well. 179 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:13.519 And here's what he means, and rightly I believe. We can agree with 180 00:15:13.679 --> 00:15:18.840 this truth on kind of a human and penultimate level. It's more blessed to 181 00:15:18.919 --> 00:15:22.309 us to give than receive, at least in most cases and in most ways. 182 00:15:24.750 --> 00:15:30.549 But Paul I, I believe, understands this in a much grander way 183 00:15:30.750 --> 00:15:39.379 than just feeling good or benefiting for perhaps from time to time now he means 184 00:15:39.740 --> 00:15:46.460 literally that there is this equation which we shouldn't take coldly or in a calculating 185 00:15:46.500 --> 00:15:52.690 way. But nevertheless it is more blessed to give, when we consider our 186 00:15:52.809 --> 00:15:56.889 giving in Christ and according to his ways and according to the things that he 187 00:15:58.129 --> 00:16:04.399 is done, than to receive. What do we mean by this? Well, 188 00:16:06.919 --> 00:16:14.799 consider Jesus's life. Jesus gave right, he gave and he gave and 189 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.309 he gave and he gave. Jesus, we read in Philippians, did not 190 00:16:18.389 --> 00:16:22.990 consider equality with a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing. He 191 00:16:23.509 --> 00:16:32.309 he gave, he took on this this his this incarnation. He gave of 192 00:16:32.350 --> 00:16:37.259 himself a to us and throughout his whole life, I'm not only the humbling 193 00:16:37.299 --> 00:16:41.820 of himself in the incarnation, but on after that, again and again and 194 00:16:41.940 --> 00:16:47.250 again, all the way to his own death, being despised by people he 195 00:16:47.529 --> 00:16:52.450 loved, being forsaken, being rejected, being humiliated, ashamed. He gave 196 00:16:52.610 --> 00:16:57.409 and he gave and he gave and he gave until he gave up his own 197 00:16:57.970 --> 00:17:03.920 his own life. Now a lot of people would look at that and say, 198 00:17:04.039 --> 00:17:10.960 well, was it really more blessed to give than to receive? What 199 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:18.029 was because of the resurrection? We know this. What did Jesus get for 200 00:17:18.230 --> 00:17:26.589 His giving resurrection, life and his humanity, a kingdom of power and glory 201 00:17:26.829 --> 00:17:33.339 that will last forever, at which the name, which every name under heaven, 202 00:17:33.099 --> 00:17:37.980 every name in Earth and throughout all the earth, will confess that he 203 00:17:37.180 --> 00:17:42.299 is lord forever and ever. He was given a kingdom by his father that 204 00:17:42.420 --> 00:17:47.410 will last forever. He was given a people that were bit brought in and 205 00:17:47.529 --> 00:17:52.490 will establish something that was prefigured in the land of Canaan under Solomon and that 206 00:17:52.569 --> 00:17:57.529 great kingdom, but is only a shadow, just a little plastic model, 207 00:17:57.640 --> 00:18:04.960 of the great reality, eternal reality, that is to come. Jesus gave 208 00:18:06.200 --> 00:18:11.799 and gave and gave of love, of obedience, and he was given an 209 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:17.390 eternal reward for that. That's what Paul says in Philippians and it's affirmed and 210 00:18:18.029 --> 00:18:23.589 many other places. Jesus didn't give because it made him feel nice or because 211 00:18:23.630 --> 00:18:29.900 it helped him stay independent of other people not be in other people's debts. 212 00:18:30.140 --> 00:18:36.380 No, he gave out of a duty and an obligation to love. That's 213 00:18:36.420 --> 00:18:41.690 what giving is about, loving and he did that again and again and again 214 00:18:41.690 --> 00:18:47.490 and again, and the result was is that through that love, through the 215 00:18:47.569 --> 00:18:52.609 giving of his own life, he rapped us up into his love and the 216 00:18:52.690 --> 00:19:00.160 father's love and created this Kingdom of love that will last forever. Is it 217 00:19:00.359 --> 00:19:07.640 more blessed to give than receive? Absolutely of course. We could never give 218 00:19:07.799 --> 00:19:15.309 like that. We could never love like Jesus loved in this way, in 219 00:19:15.509 --> 00:19:21.029 this giving of ourselves so that we might receive the these blessings and rewards. 220 00:19:21.069 --> 00:19:25.299 It's impossible. How many of you have ever woken up in the morning and 221 00:19:25.339 --> 00:19:26.700 said today is going to be a good day, I'm going to do this 222 00:19:26.859 --> 00:19:30.940 right, I'm going to love the people I've been called to love, I'm 223 00:19:30.980 --> 00:19:34.579 going to be honorable, I'm going to take care of them, take care 224 00:19:34.619 --> 00:19:40.690 of my children and my spouse or my family or my friends. And then 225 00:19:40.769 --> 00:19:44.890 it takes such a little thing and someone's crosses you the wrong way or says 226 00:19:44.930 --> 00:19:47.450 the wrong thing, and all of a sudden you're all kind of back to 227 00:19:47.529 --> 00:19:53.279 where you were before. This is our lives, a constant struggle. Jesus 228 00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:57.279 is life was not like that. He struggled, yes, he was tempted, 229 00:19:57.480 --> 00:20:03.200 just like you are, but at every moment he loved, he gave 230 00:20:04.279 --> 00:20:15.069 perfectly. So we can't do that, but we can do something else. 231 00:20:15.190 --> 00:20:22.700 Jesus gave of his life so that he might receive this kingdom, in order 232 00:20:22.740 --> 00:20:27.380 to give some more, in order to give it to us. And what 233 00:20:27.539 --> 00:20:33.140 we do is we receive of that Kingdom of love and then give in his 234 00:20:33.299 --> 00:20:38.490 name. We give of ourselves. We share in that war reward. We 235 00:20:38.650 --> 00:20:47.130 enjoy in those blessings, these eternal delights and joys forever. It's more blessed 236 00:20:47.329 --> 00:20:52.319 to give than to receive for us, because in Christ there's more blessing than 237 00:20:52.880 --> 00:20:56.680 you could ever accumulate for yourself here on earth. And that's why Paul says, 238 00:20:57.359 --> 00:21:02.480 I didn't desire silver and gold. You Know Me. I was with 239 00:21:02.720 --> 00:21:06.990 you. Was I clamoring for your money when I was here? No, 240 00:21:07.349 --> 00:21:10.589 he says, I worked. I worked with my own hands. I worked 241 00:21:10.630 --> 00:21:14.430 hard, day after day after day. I gave, I gave, I 242 00:21:14.670 --> 00:21:18.619 gave. Why? Why did Paul do that? Why could Paul let go 243 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:26.500 of the things of this world? Because he had hoped somewhere else, in 244 00:21:26.740 --> 00:21:33.569 his own loving no, in Christ's love. Think about what he says beloved. 245 00:21:33.809 --> 00:21:37.890 Does he say I loved you? I loved you. I loved you. 246 00:21:38.130 --> 00:21:42.170 And and because of all of the great things I've done, I preach 247 00:21:42.369 --> 00:21:47.359 to you the good news of Paul that if you act like me, you 248 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.640 will be saved. No, he says, I came to you bringing the 249 00:21:52.759 --> 00:21:56.000 message of God, the repentance according to Christ and the Gospel. I came 250 00:21:56.240 --> 00:22:04.150 preaching his kingdom, which is about US receiving something through the forgiveness of our 251 00:22:04.269 --> 00:22:12.710 sins. It's more blessed to give than to receive because of what Christ has 252 00:22:12.829 --> 00:22:21.420 done, because Christ has purchased us with his own blood. So it's in 253 00:22:21.500 --> 00:22:25.259 the light of that, in light of that kind of ministry, in light 254 00:22:25.339 --> 00:22:29.299 of that kind of ultimate kingdom which Paul is all about, that he then 255 00:22:29.859 --> 00:22:38.809 lives his life in this kind of way. What is that way? Well, 256 00:22:38.809 --> 00:22:42.890 it's a way of boldness, right, it's a way of consistency, 257 00:22:44.880 --> 00:22:49.519 it's a way of protection and desiring to care for those that were entrusted to 258 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:56.119 him. He does not shrink from declaring the whole counsel of God. He 259 00:22:56.319 --> 00:23:02.990 pays attention to himself and his ways even as he pays attention to the flock, 260 00:23:03.150 --> 00:23:07.430 because there are dangers. It's a ministry of speaking, it's a ministry 261 00:23:07.549 --> 00:23:14.619 of guarding, of protecting. He says in Verse Twenty Nine. I know 262 00:23:14.859 --> 00:23:19.140 that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the 263 00:23:19.220 --> 00:23:25.460 flock. And if that wasn't scary enough, he says from among your own 264 00:23:25.500 --> 00:23:32.089 selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. 265 00:23:34.650 --> 00:23:41.759 If that isn't sobering, I don't know what is beyond guard. He says 266 00:23:41.400 --> 00:23:48.200 to these elders, watch yourselves, stay true to the word of Christ, 267 00:23:48.319 --> 00:23:56.910 work, serve in this way. What is the way? It is the 268 00:23:56.950 --> 00:24:03.509 way of love. It is the way of Christ. It's following Jesus in 269 00:24:03.630 --> 00:24:08.190 the way that he went forth, but doing so because of the way he 270 00:24:08.390 --> 00:24:12.980 went forth as well. It's not just mimicking him, in other words, 271 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:18.859 it's not just modeling him, but it's trusting in him. If you listen 272 00:24:18.940 --> 00:24:25.569 to this and you say, well, glad I'm not an elder, that 273 00:24:25.690 --> 00:24:33.650 sounds impossible. Well, of course it is. To do perfectly. To 274 00:24:33.849 --> 00:24:40.359 call an elder, to call someone to serve as this kind of overseer of 275 00:24:40.440 --> 00:24:45.920 the flock, to have to place in their hands the care of Christ's church, 276 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:52.279 is not just to call a brave man or a leader, it's to 277 00:24:52.480 --> 00:24:56.950 call someone who is devote it to Christ and to his way, to someone 278 00:24:56.990 --> 00:25:03.869 who will walk in Christ's path, who has received the Kingdom and is willing 279 00:25:03.950 --> 00:25:10.180 to minister to and is dedicated to minister that Kingdom and that word of Christ 280 00:25:10.299 --> 00:25:14.619 to you, one who will not give up in that way and one who 281 00:25:14.619 --> 00:25:18.380 will not give up in those paths. Even in the midst of his own 282 00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:22.569 weakness, Paul understood his own weakness. He says, we hold this treasure 283 00:25:22.809 --> 00:25:30.410 in jars of clay, things which can be easily broken, easily harmed, 284 00:25:30.650 --> 00:25:33.769 he says. When he speaks to the Corinthians, he says, you know 285 00:25:34.049 --> 00:25:40.119 how I came to you in fear and in trembling. Paul's knees were knocking 286 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:45.880 when he came to the church. It was hard, but he was able 287 00:25:45.880 --> 00:25:51.789 to do it nonetheless. Why? Because it was the spirit who is working 288 00:25:51.829 --> 00:26:00.630 in him. This work is beyond us, it is difficult, beyond measure. 289 00:26:00.670 --> 00:26:06.180 I speak to you here, who are elders, but I want to 290 00:26:06.259 --> 00:26:11.819 remind you that it is, it is God's work, not only because it 291 00:26:11.940 --> 00:26:17.940 relates to him, not only because our charge comes from him, but because 292 00:26:17.980 --> 00:26:26.410 it is he himself who upholds the work. So trust him, place this 293 00:26:26.690 --> 00:26:32.049 weight in his hands, even as you already have placed your life in his 294 00:26:32.210 --> 00:26:37.119 hands. He is the one who upholds his servants, in life and in 295 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:42.039 death. Paul feels for you to give of his own life for the sake 296 00:26:42.079 --> 00:26:48.589 of the Gospel, because he knows how secure he is in Jesus, and 297 00:26:48.789 --> 00:26:52.789 you, who serve Christ's Christ and his sheep, can do the same. 298 00:26:52.829 --> 00:26:57.750 Indeed, all of us can do the same, whether you are very little 299 00:26:57.750 --> 00:27:03.220 or very big, or young or very old, male or female, Jew 300 00:27:03.380 --> 00:27:10.460 or gentile, slave or free, we all are called by Jesus and are 301 00:27:10.619 --> 00:27:18.369 strong in Him, even in our dying. We do not die, but 302 00:27:18.569 --> 00:27:23.890 we have promises and a kingdom in him. Your Lord is at work. 303 00:27:25.690 --> 00:27:30.720 The Apostle Paul is one who was sent by Christ, as are these men 304 00:27:30.880 --> 00:27:34.599 and as is our brother this morning. The Lord Jesus is at work. 305 00:27:36.160 --> 00:27:41.000 It is his church. Let us rest entirely in him to fulfill the things 306 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:47.230 that he is promised on the basis of his strength, his work and his 307 00:27:47.430 --> 00:27:48.630 life. Let us pray