Shepherding God’s Flock – part 4
Acts 20:17-38 (22-27)
April 21, 2013
As you know we are presently studying a very unique passage
In the book of Acts that deals with the reality of shepherding God’s flock.
We know from our studies of the book of Acts
That the apostles preached thousands of sermons.
And yet the Holy Spirit only recorded and preserved a few of them
For us to examine here in this book.
• We have Peter’s sermon at Pentecost (Acts 2)
• We have Peter’s sermon in Jerusalem after healing the cripple (Acts 3)
• We have Stephen’s sermon before he was stoned (Acts 7)
• We have Paul’s sermon at Pisidian Antioch on God’s mercy (Acts 13)
• We have Paul’s sermon Mars hill in Athens (Acts 17)
And next on the list would be this sermon
That Paul preached to the elders at Ephesus.
Each of these sermons is preserved and recorded because the Holy Spirit intended that we would not only know that these men preached, but that we would also take special note of what they said.
And so we are trying to take a careful approach
To understanding Paul’s sermon here to these Ephesian elders.
So far we have covered verses 19-21 and have seen the first point.
PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF HOW A SHEPHERD LIVES
We saw how Paul served
• With Humility
• With True Concern
• With Endurance
We saw how Paul spoke
• Powerfully
• Profitably
• Publicly
• Personally
We saw how Paul shared
• The true gospel of repentance and faith to both Jew and Gentile alike
That was Paul’s example that he intended for these elders to follow.
That was basically his personal testimony portion of the sermon.
Tonight we see Paul move into a new point in this sermon.
At this point he is going to help these men understand
What they can expect as they lead the life of a shepherd.
And this is vitally important.
1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”
Now in the letter that Paul wrote to Titus,
Paul wrote for Titus to “appoint elders in every town.”
And from that we understand that often times elders
Were men who were appointed by other leaders.
But that wasn’t the only way that a man
Became an overseer or shepherd.
Paul is very clear here in his letter to Timothy that some men
Become overseers or shepherds because they aspire to the office
And literally desire the work.
• Paul saw that there were some men who wanted to be overseers,
they had a desire to do it.
• Paul also understood that this aspiration must be accompanied
with a desire to work.
In short, taking care of God’s flock would be hard work.
All you have to do to understand this a little better is think for a moment about the life of an actual shepherd in Israel in those days.
One man described the shepherds of ancient Israel
Sort of like the cowboys of Israel.
• They lived out in the elements with the sheep.
• They faced constant danger from thieves and predators.
• It wasn’t a prestigious job, shepherds were often looked down upon.
• And yet, the need for shepherds was everywhere.
The same could be true of spiritual shepherds.
And as Paul is preparing to commit the Ephesian flock
Into the care of these men he wants to make sure that
They fully understand what they are signing up for.
One of the major problems in regard to overseers and shepherds
Is that many aspire to the office for the wrong reason.
Paul said that to aspire to the office was to desire the work.
• It would imply a genuine love for God and His flock.
• It would imply a willingness to do what is necessary to guide God’s flock.
• It would necessity a love for the church.
And yet that is not why some enter the position.
False prophets are those who aspire to the office
For completely different reasons.
Peter described them like this:
2 Peter 2:12-15 “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed, suffering wrong as the wages of doing wrong. They count it a pleasure to revel in the daytime. They are stains and blemishes, reveling in their deceptions, as they carouse with you, having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”
• They like to “revel” meaning they like to show off their luxurious lifestyles.
• They have “eyes full of adultery”
• The have a “heart trained in greed”
• They love “the wages of unrighteousness”
They aspire to the office for completely different reasons.
They want money, or notoriety, or even sexual relationships.
They love the power that comes along with the office.
That is obviously not at all why a man should aspire to be an overseer.
NOW PAUL IS NOT NAÏVE.
He knows that there is a very good possibility that in this group of elders
Some of them are in it for the wrong reasons.
In fact, later in this very sermon he will say:
Acts 20:29-30 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
Just as sure as there were true shepherds who loved the flock,
He knew there were also wolves in sheep’s clothing
Who only sought to use the flock for their own selfish desires.
And so, as Paul prepares to commit this flock to their care,
He not only gives the example of how he lived,
But also fills them in on the type of lifestyle they can expect.
Paul’s Example of how a Shepherd Lives
#2 PAUL’S EXPECTATION OF WHAT A SHEPHERD RECEIVES
Acts 20:22-24
And I think we can easily narrow this down into three basic expectations.
1) TO SUBMIT TO THE SPIRIT (22)
“And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there.”
That is really a tremendous statement when you think about it.
Paul is on his way to a city
And there is much uncertainty in his mind as to what to expect.
The next verse does tell us that Paul’s expectation was a negative one.
“except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”
So Paul may not have known specifically what would happen to him,
But he did know whatever would happen, most likely would not be pleasant.
And so this really begs the question:
THEN WHY WOULD HE GO TO JERUSALEM?
• If you know you will not be well received there, why not stay in Ephesus?
• If you know Jerusalem doesn’t want you, why go there?
And the answer is a simple as it is profound.
Paul was “bound by the Spirit”
The word “bound” translates DEO,
And it literally speaks of being physically bound.
In a metaphoric sense it refers to a binding relationship,
Such as that of a marriage.
Romans 7:2 “For the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living; but if her husband dies, she is released from the law concerning the husband.”
And Paul here says that he was “bound by the Spirit”
He was not bound TO the Spirit, but BY the Spirit.
The Holy Spirit had taken Paul and literally bound him TO his mission.
This calling to shepherd wasn’t really an optional one.
He did not have the choice of walking away.
Paul was God’s chosen instrument to bear His name before the Gentiles.
• This was his specific role
• This was his specific duty
And it didn’t matter if the circumstances were favorable or unfavorable.
He was called to go.
And this is a tremendous example
Of the type of life that a shepherd can expect.
The shepherd is bound to his ministry
And he is “bound by the Holy Spirit”
Paul will even draw on this concept later in the sermon
When he exhorts these elders.
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”
Just as Paul was bound by the Spirit, so were these men.
It was the Holy Spirit who had made them overseers.
And so in order to be a shepherd of God’s flock
One can expect a whole lot of submission to the Spirit.
You don’t operate in ministry according to your own will,
But according to His will.
False Shepherds walk by the flesh.
True Shepherds must walk by the Spirit.
Remember when Jesus three times asking Peter to shepherd His sheep?
John 21:18-19 “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
Jesus was reminding Peter of the high cost of shepherding His flock,
And yet asking him to submit to that plan anyway.
And Paul lets these shepherds know the same thing.
“I am walking in submission to the Spirit of God, who wants me to go to Jerusalem, even though I am fairly certain hardship awaits me there.”
That is the expectation of a shepherd.
He must expect to submit to the Holy Spirit,
Knowing that not everything he is asked to do will always be pleasant.
That is what Paul expected.
To Submit to the Spirit
2) TO SUFFER HARDSHIP (23)
“except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”
Paul may not have known what was coming, but whatever was coming
He had a pretty good idea that it wasn’t going to be good.
Later, he will find out precisely what is coming.
Acts 21:10-11 “As we were staying there for some days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. And coming to us, he took Paul’s belt and bound his own feet and hands, and said, “This is what the Holy Spirit says: ‘In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'”
So the Holy Spirit really was testifying that bonds and afflictions awaited.
Paul knew he was headed to Jerusalem to be arrested.
Paul knew he was headed to Jerusalem to suffer.
And shepherds have to understand this.
Certainly I have no interest in suffering like Paul did,
But the reality is that the calling to shepherd God’s flock
IS NOT A SOFT CALLING.
I’m always mindful of Timothy.
• Hopefully you will remember last week that Timothy was left in Ephesus because they had a teacher problem.
• Some men were teaching strange doctrines and Timothy was to remain there to tell them to stop and to get the doctrine of that church back on track.
Well, by the time the second letter comes around, Timothy is ready to quit.
His mission in Ephesus was hard.
• He is an outsider…
• He is young…
• His message flies in the face of their current system and traditions…
They didn’t want him, and he didn’t want to be there.
So Paul wrote to remind Timothy of this very reality
That a shepherd must expect to suffer hardship.
2 Timothy 1:8 “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,”
2 Timothy 2:10 “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.”
Suffering is just part of the plan.
2 Timothy 3:10-12 “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”
And that is the same message he is delivering to these elders.
The calling to shepherd God’s flock is not a calling that you enter
Because you want a life of ease and prosperity.
So Paul would expect:
To Submit to the Spirit To Suffer Hardship
3) TO SUCCEED THROUGH SACRIFICE (24)
“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
Now first we must recognize a very important mindset.
In order to be willing to shepherd God’s flock through adversity
There is a very important self-view that one must have.
Paul said, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself”
WOW!
Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”
If you wanted to sum it up in present day terms Paul is saying,
“It’s not about me.”
I know I am called to shepherd God’s flock, and I know that it will require walking through some hardship, but that is ok, because it has never been about me.
And that is a crucial mindset.
Shepherds who think the flock is to serve their agenda
Only succeed in ravaging the flock
Like the bad shepherds in Israel’s past.
Those who take on the task must recognize that the calling
Is to lay your life down for the sake of the flock.
That may be done physically, it most certainly must be done mentally.
And Paul needed this mindset if he was to accomplish his goal.
Do you notice the “so that” there?
This mindset was important “so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
The Lord Jesus had specifically recruited Paul
And charged him with the mission of preaching “the grace of God.”
He was required by God to accomplish this.
But you can’t fulfill that mission if you are selfish.
And so in order for Paul to finish that course and fulfill that ministry,
He first had to determine to let his life completely die.
Incidentally this is always the requirement for effective service.
Even for Jesus to come to this earth and serve, do you remember what He did?
Philippians 2:6-8 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Self-love and ministry do not mix.
If Paul was going to be effective and successful in fulfilling his mission
Then he would have to be willing to sacrifice.
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
And this is what a man who aspires to the office of overseer can expect.
He can expect to be submissive to the Holy Spirit,
Who will at times ask him to suffer hardship and to
Succeed in that hardship through the sacrifice of himself.
If he wants to finish the course well, then this is what he must do.
And it is worthy to note that Paul did.
In 2 Timothy 4 Paul told Timothy to preach the word in season and out of season, and he told Timothy to endure hardship and fulfill his ministry.
Then notice what Paul said:
2 Timothy 4:5-8 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Paul knew what it took to finish a race.
And just as he told Timothy, he tells these shepherds the same thing.
If you are expecting to enter the ministry under the guise of
Money, and glory, and self-advancement, and television spots
And radio spots and glory in the community, etc.
You might as well check those ideas at the door.
• A shepherd should expect to submit
• A shepherd should expect to suffer
• A shepherd should expect to succeed through sacrifice.
So thus far we have seen:
• Paul’s Example of how a Shepherd Lives
• Pauls’ Expectation of what a Shepherd Receives
#3 PAUL’S EXONERATION OF HIS OWN SHEPHERDING RECORD
Acts 20:25-27
So thus far Paul has given them an example of how a shepherd lives
And an expectation of what a shepherd receives.
The implication is that regardless of the hardship
The shepherd should stand up and be faithful anyway.
And that is what Paul reveals here.
• Despite the opposition…
• Despite the sacrifice…
• Despite the intimidating circumstances…
Paul was a faithful shepherd anyway.
He got the Ephesian church off on the right foot.
He started the whole thing off well.
But, he had finished his ministry there.
His time in Ephesus was over.
(25) “And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will no longer see my face.”
I most certainly am an advocate of pastor’s
Who stay their whole lives shepherding the same flock.
And yet, it is possible that God does move shepherds on.
What is clear however is that no shepherd
Should ever leave without making sure
The flock is stable and in good hands.
That is what Paul is doing.
• His time for departure has come.
• He has finished his mission in Ephesus.
• And he is now making sure that he is leaving that church in capable hands.
And to those elders Paul reminds them that if problems arise in Ephesus they will not be able to blame them on him.
(26-27) “Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”
I think you are familiar with the Scripture Paul is alluding to here.
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 3:16-22
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 33:7-9
And of course the point is obvious.
In a spiritual sense, Ezekiel was a watchman.
He was listening to God to see what was coming.
Paul alludes to that here.
When I was there, shepherding that flock,
I did not withhold anything that they needed to hear.
I told them “the whole purpose of God.”
• I didn’t shy away from those difficult passages…
• I didn’t cater to the financially strong…
• I didn’t give in to the intimidating people…
• I didn’t show partiality…
I preached it all.
I gave you the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
And now Paul says, “I am innocent”
If your people walk in sin, it will be applied to you, not me.
I was a faithful shepherd.
And let’s not think for a second that this was easy.
• Was it not in Ephesus were Paul first met those unsaved disciples of John the Baptist, and Paul had to reveal to them that they did not have the Holy Spirit, and thus were not yet saved?
• Was it not in Ephesus where he was forced to leave the synagogue and take the believers to meet in the school of Tyrannus?
• Was it not in Ephesus were there was so much sorcery and magic that when the books were burned it equaled 50,000 pieces of silver?
• Was it not in Ephesus were Paul had to deal with the huge idolatry trade and all the uproar about Artemis of the Ephesians?
• In 1 Corinthians 15:32, Paul says he “fought with wild beasts at Ephesus”
The point is, in order to be faithful,
PAUL had to preach on some pretty intense issues.
• He had to preach on false assurance…
• He had to preach on Jesus over Judaism…
• He had to preach against sorcery and magic…
• He had to preach against idolatry…
It took great boldness, faithfulness, and willingness to suffer
To preach on topics like that, and yet Paul did it anyway.
He “did not shrink from declaring…the whole purpose of God.”
He was a faithful and now innocent shepherd.
He finished his course in Ephesus faithfully.
Now next time we come, we’ll listen in as Paul begins to
Exhort these shepherds with exactly what God expects of them.
But for now, we see clearly the life and expectation of a shepherd.
For any who are shepherds and for any who might someday aspire
To the office of overseer and the fine work it is to shepherd God’s flock.
It is important that we all know what to expect.
• A life of submission
• A life of suffering
• A life of success through sacrifice
It is hardship and obedience.
HOWEVER:
To those who do it, there is also reward.
1 Peter 5:4 “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
2 Timothy 4:6-8 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Christ knows that shepherding His flock is a difficult task,
But He never fails to reward those who embrace it and fulfill it.
