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.

Shepherding God’s Flock – part 3
Acts 20:17-38 (20-21)
April 14, 2013

As you know we are studying this section in the book of Acts where Paul gives a pastor’s conference to the elders of the Ephesian church.

I don’t know if I’m studying it more for you or for me,
But either way the truths here are vitally important ones.

To Recap:
• Paul is in a hurry to get back to Jerusalem with the offering
• He sailed past Ephesus, but called for the elders to meet him
• And once they arrived he immediately started instructing them.

#1 PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF HOW A SHEPHERD LIVES (17-21)
1) HOW I SERVED
• With Humility
• With Genuine Concern
• With Endurance

So Paul is lifting up himself as an example of how to be a good shepherd.
You have to be humble,
You have to be genuinely concerned,
You must be willing to endure.

Well tonight we move on to another of Paul’s examples
Of how he lived and served as a shepherd.

2) HOW I SPOKE (20)

Tonight we talk about Paul as a preacher.

One of the things that I absolutely love about this church,
Is that you are a people who have a love for preaching.

One would think this should be a common occurrence in every church,
But it most certainly is not.

Somewhere along the line churches started making distinctions
As to the type of man that would lead them.

And they started throwing these men into one of two categories.
1) Preacher
2) Pastor

The preacher was viewed as one who pounded the pulpit
The pastor was viewed as one who does a lot of visitation
And one of the fall outs to this type of distinction was that
It opened the door for a man to be considered a good pastor,
Even if he wasn’t a faithful preacher.

BUT THAT ISN’T TRUE

If Scripture teaches us anything about pastors or shepherds
It is that it is impossible to pastor without preaching.

Ezekiel 34:1-2 “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock?”

These men were bad shepherds because they did not feed the flock.
Namely they did not correctly address the spiritual issues of the flock.

A man may indeed become very popular with people by being present for every event that occurs in a person’s life, but if that man is not faithfully distributing God’s word to the flock, then regardless of how happy the flock may be, they are in reality starving to death.

I’ve always liked the answer given by the apostles
When the grumbling about feeding the widows broke out.

Acts 6:1-2 “Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food. So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.”

Many today would look upon the apostles as having chosen poorly.

When I was first starting my pastorate, I had an old pastor tell me, “Rory, people will forgive a bad sermon, but they won’t forgive you not visiting them in the hospital.”

He was basically telling me that if it came down to sermon preparation
Or a hospital visit, to choose the hospital.

That is just the opposite of what the apostles chose.
• They understood the necessity of preaching.
• They understood that the flock needs feeding.
• They understood that God’s Word must be allowed to work.

This is certainly God’s plan for the preacher.
Ephesians 4:7-13 “But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN.” (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.) And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

All of those gifts deal with distribution and proclamation of God’s word.
• Apostles revealed the word
• Prophets proclaim the word
• Evangelists spread the word
• Pastors apply the word
• Teachers explain the word

And the result is fully equipped saints who are unified in the Lord.
They have a full knowledge of the Son of God, have become mature,
And are starting to look like Jesus.

Now, I’ll be real honest here.

There is a reason why we have such division in the church today.
(both denominational and even inside single congregations)

TWO REASONS:
1) People can’t agree on what they believe
2) People are selfish and immature, unwilling to unify

BOTH OF THOSE ARE THE DIRECT RESULT OF
A LACK OF PREACHING IN THE CHURCH.

TAKE THE SELFISH PEOPLE
James 4:1-2 “What is the source of quarrels and conflicts among you? Is not the source your pleasures that wage war in your members? You lust and do not have; so you commit murder. You are envious and cannot obtain; so you fight and quarrel. You do not have because you do not ask.”

People fight and quarrel and divide
Because they are selfish and want their way.

WHAT DO THEY NEED?
Well, they need to grow up and be more like Christ.
(“Have this attitude which was in Christ Jesus”)

How do they do that?
They sit under preaching of the word of God,
Let it quicken their soul, and guide their life.

What did we read the result of preaching was in Ephesians?
“until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

TAKE THOSE DOCTRINAL DIFFERENCES
• One believes in security of the believer
• One thinks it depends on the endurance of the believer
• One believes salvation requires repentance from sin
• One believes all good people are going to heaven

IS SCRIPTURE VAGUE ABOUT SUCH THINGS?
Certainly not!

But it is the lack of preaching doctrinal truth
That keeps people in the dark about the truth of Scripture
And thus the church never unifies.

Paul said that all of these preachers would bring the church to “the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God”

The lack of unity today is a direct result of the lack of preaching.

PREACHING IS IMPORTANT, IT UNIFIES AND MATURES THE CHURCH.
Ezekiel knew that, so did the apostles, and so did Paul.

You need preaching to turn the sheep
Into what God wants them to be.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

In short, preaching matters.

Which explains Paul’s commands to his young protégé’s
1 Timothy 4:13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”

2 Timothy 4:1-4 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths.”

And so that is the example of preaching
That Paul now lifts up to these Ephesian elders.

He has reminded them of how he served,
Now he reminds them of how he spoke.

And in verse 20, he gives us four characteristics
About how he spoke the word of God to them.

HE SPOKE POWERFULLY
“how I did not shrink from declaring to you”

I like the imagery here that Paul uses in his language.

The term “shrink” makes you think of one cowing down in defeat.
It makes you think of a person who knows what needs to be said,
But is too afraid to actually say it.

• Instead of causing a rift
• Instead of making a wave
• They just “shrink” back and stay quiet.

Adrian Rogers said, “Sometimes silence is golden, sometimes it is just plain yellow.”

Well Paul certainly wasn’t yellow.
He “did not shrink from declaring”

• They could be debating him in the synagogues
• They could be mocking him in the Aeropagus
• They could be threatening him in the courts

And still Paul boldly spoke.

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”

Scripture alone has the answers to eternity.
Scripture alone has the answers of how to obtain God’s righteousness.
Scripture alone has the answers of how to be pleasing to God.

Fear has never been an acceptable excuse to keep from preaching.
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,”

The shepherd has to understand that
He has a duty to proclaim the word of God.

Regardless of the congregation…
Regardless of the animosity he may face…
Regardless of the opposition…

He cannot decide just to quit preaching.

Later in this same passage, Paul says:
Acts 20:26-27 “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.”

There it wasn’t that Paul just kept preaching, but Paul preached it all.

• He even preached on those less than popular subjects.
• He touched on the topics that he knew people wouldn’t like.
• He spoke the things that he knew would step on toes.
But he didn’t retreat, he preached it anyway.

The shepherd has to do this.

He spoke powerfully
HE SPOKE PROFITABLY
“I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable,”

Certainly this encompasses the Scriptures.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

And I find this to be a very important truth
That all shepherds need to know.

There is a great difference between preaching and profitable preaching.

Profitable preaching would be that which:
• Explains the Scripture in such a way so as to
• Quicken your spirit,
• Encourage your faith,
• Convict your sin,
• Lead you into a fuller knowledge of God.

Unprofitable preaching may be
• Entertaining,
• Interesting,
• Even stimulating,
But if it does not produce Christ-likeness and sanctification,
Then what was its profit?

It is like comparing junk food to health food.
I would definitely rather eat junk food,
But that isn’t what my body needs.

The same is true for preaching.
Paul knew there were profitable things and unprofitable things.
He focused on the profitable.

And he told other preachers to do the same.
1 Timothy 1:3-7 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

Paul was very clear there.
(And incidentally, since Timothy was in Ephesus, it would seem that the elders Paul is currently speaking to did not fully heed his warning)

But in Ephesus there were teachers who were teaching
What Paul called “strange doctrines”

It all centered around “myths” and “endless genealogies”

And the result was “speculation” not Godliness.

And Paul reminded Timothy that all of our instruction has a goal.
All preaching has a goal.

It isn’t enlightenment
It isn’t entertainment
“the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.”

If your preaching or teaching is not producing a love for God
And a devotion to God, then it is not profitable preaching.

But it was a problem in Ephesus and apparently one that lingered,
For even in Paul’s second letter to Timothy:
2 Timothy 2:14-18 “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some.”

There we see that these men had “worldly and empty chatter”

And instead of producing that sincere devotion Paul spoke of,
Their preaching was actually leading “to the ruin of the hearers”,
“further ungodliness” and it was upsetting people’s faith.

It must be profitable preaching.

My favorite passage in this regard
Actually comes at the end of his first letter to Timothy.

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” — which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”
Paul actually spoke of men who preach what appears to “knowledge”
Or at least very intellectual,
But in reality they have “gone astray from the faith.”

The point being that whatever they were preaching may have been interesting, and intellectual, but it wasn’t the truth of God’s word and so it wasn’t profitable.

I heard a preacher at a pastor’s conference:
At one point he made the statement, “if you are one of those preachers who has grown your church from 100 down to 50, the move out of your momma’s basement and kiss a girl for once.”
It was useless
It was pointless
It had no value

That is not preaching.
A shepherd must feed the flock,
But he must also feed them what truly nourishes them.

It was because of this reality that Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:6-7 “In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;”

Your preaching must profit those who hear in their spiritual walk.
That is how Paul preached.

I speak powerfully
I speak profitably
HE SPOKE PUBLICLY
“how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly”

This could really tie in with the fact that Paul did not shrink back,
But in that regard, he understood that there is a part of preaching
That must be done publicly.

Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:13 “Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.”

The Scripture was intended to be publicly preached.
There is a unity that develops when an entire congregation
Can sit under the same preaching.

Furthermore it is impossible for the shepherd to know how to specifically speak to each individual sheep, and so at times he speaks to them all, and the Holy Spirit takes God’s word and quickens it to their soul.

The shepherd must be willing to stand and publicly proclaim God’s word.

But there is a flip side to this that we see next.
HE SPOKE PERSONALLY
“teaching you publicly and from house to house”

On one hand the shepherd keeps a broad view
And preaches what is profitably publicly to the entire flock.

But that does not negate the necessity of personal preaching as well.

There are many times when individual sheep need individual messages.

These may not be formal sermons with points and introductions,
But are personal moments of applying scripture
To the specific situation of an individual.

At times this preaching is fun, especially when it is an uplifting encouraging type word.

And at times this preaching is not fun, especially when it comes in the form of addressing sin in the life of a believer.

But the shepherd must be willing to do it.

You cannot preach a sermon to an entire congregation
Which is really meant for one person.

When a public word is needed, private preaching won’t do.
But when a private word is need, public preaching is not acceptable.

You may remember what Aquila and Priscilla did for Apollos:
Acts 18:24-26 “Now a Jew named Apollos, an Alexandrian by birth, an eloquent man, came to Ephesus; and he was mighty in the Scriptures. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he was speaking and teaching accurately the things concerning Jesus, being acquainted only with the baptism of John; and he began to speak out boldly in the synagogue. But when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”

Earlier I read to you about Paul asking Timothy
To instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines.

The very emphasis there was that Timothy would personally address
The teaching ministry of each of those specific men.

And you take all of this together and you see how Paul spoke,
And how a shepherd is supposed to speak.
Powerfully – not shrinking from the truth
Profitably – giving scripture and nothing else
Publicly – addressing the whole church and not afraid to speak
Personally – not shying away from those one on one meetings
This is how a shepherd cares for and feeds his flock.
And Paul wants these elders to follow his example.

So as Paul urges the Ephesian elders to follow his example, we have seen that example in two main ways.

How He Served
How He Spoke

Let me show you quickly the third example that Paul has for them.
3) HOW HE SHARED (21)

Verse 20 addresses how Paul spoke to the church,
Verse 21 addresses how Paul spoke to those outside of it.

Part of being a shepherd is searching for the lost sheep.
Certainly Jesus gave us this example.

God has a large flock, some of the sheep are in the fold,
Some have yet to be found.
A good shepherd will continue his search for the lost sheep.

And that is the example Paul gave here.

The first thing we notice, is that it was a job he took very seriously.
He said he was “solemnly testifying”

This is seriousness.
It was important to him to call out the sheep.
2 Corinthians 5:20 “Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.”

Acts 26:27-29 “King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am, except for these chains.”

You can hear Paul’s seriousness in regard to the gospel message.

• Paul also understood that this was to be extended beyond Israel.
“to both Jews and Greeks”

• And Paul understood the message he was to preach to call them.
“of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Those two realities are the foundational pillars of the gospel.

• Man is sinful and has offended God, and therefore must repent.
• God in His mercy has provided atonement for that sin in the blood of Jesus, whom the sinner must trust and submit to.
Repentance and Faith

Acts 2:38 “Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

• To go out and preach repentance without faith in Jesus is legalism
and will not save.

• To preach faith in Jesus without repentance is to completely
nullify the need for Jesus.

And to preach neither is not to be an evangelist at all.

Paul’s example was a consistent one.
He wanted men to repent and to trust in Christ.
And he preached that to everyone.

So here we are, the elders have come to Paul
And the first thing he gives them is
HIS EXAMPLE OF HOW A SHEPHERD LIVES.

A Shepherd serves with humility, true concern, and endurance.
A Shepherd speaks powerfully, profitably, publicly, and personally.
A Shepherd shares the true gospel as he searches for all lost sheep.

This is what is expected.

Next time we’ll here Paul reveal what these shepherds
Can expect to receive for such a ministry.
Acts 20:18-21 “And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Shepherding God’s Flock – pt. 2
Acts 20:17-38 (19)
April 7, 2013

Tonight we are going to continue on that topic and text that we began last Sunday night, namely the concept of shepherding the flock of God.

Last week we really just sort of laid a foundation for shepherding,
And talked about the basis of it.

Namely that:
• Israel’s shepherds had ravaged the flock
• Christ came as the Good Shepherd, and gathered the flock
• Christ then entrusted His flock to the apostles
• Since that day care of God’s flock has been passed down over and over

And it is important we maintain that perspective through the entire study
Because it makes sure that we keep our perspectives pure.

Often times today we see a man “Surrender to the Ministry”.
In effect he is saying that God is calling him to serve in some capacity
And typically we rejoice when someone does that

That is a good thing

However, it is vitally important in this process
That we remember that it is not then,
Nor will it ever be about the minister.
The focus is always on the flock.

And so when that sort of thing happens
We do rejoice that one individual expresses a call of God in his life,
But we never simply take it a face value.

There must be examination
There must be a clear expectation

Paul would even go so far as to say
That we must not be hasty in endorsing such a one.

1 Timothy 5:22 “Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.”

And we may come back to that point at a later date,
But for now at least it is sufficient for you to understand
That shepherding God’s flock is a serious thing.

Let me say it this way.
GOD LOVES HIS FLOCK

He evidenced that by sending His own Son to die
In order to redeem His flock back to Himself.

Furthermore, God maintains a personal relationship through His Son
With each and every one of His sheep.

So to stand in a place as a caretaker of God’s flock is no laughing matter. It is serious to God, it matters to Him, and it must be done properly.

And this is precisely what Paul is talking about
Here with the Ephesian elders.

• Because Paul was in a hurry to get to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost,
• He sailed past Ephesus,
• But having landed in Miletus, he now is holding a sort of “Pastor’s Conference”
• In which he has called the elders of that church to him for some final
exhortation.

What we find here is really valuable stuff
In regard to shepherding the flock of God.

Now last week we spent quite a while in introduction,
Building the concept of shepherding and elders
And we barely made it into our text at all.

I did give you the first major point.
#1 PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF HOW A SHEPHERD LIVES
Acts 20:17-21

And the main thing we first noticed is that Paul immediately lifted himself up as an example of how a shepherd should care for God’s flock.

(18) “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,”

In other words, you didn’t just hear what I spoke, you saw how I lived.
I gave you a practical example of how to shepherd the flock of God.

And we even mentioned how many today
Would view Paul’s efforts there as extremely arrogant.

And yet, we recognized that this also is part of the divine order.

On one hand Shepherds are supposed to be an example:
1 Peter 5:3 “nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

And on the other hand, the flock is supposed to follow their example.
Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”
And that is why Paul not only repeatedly told churches
To follow his example or to imitate his faith,

But that is also why he told the next generation of preachers
To make sure they set a good example for their flocks.

1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Titus 2:7-8 “in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”

Shepherds are supposed to be examples for the flock
The flock is supposed to follow the shepherd’s example.
And that is what Paul is doing here.

Tonight I want to venture in to
Some of the examples he set for these elders to follow.

Namely Paul lifts up three aspects of his ministry for them to imitate.
• How I Served (19)
• How I Spoke (20)
• How I Shared (21)

So let’s look here at the first one.
1) HOW I SERVED

(19) “serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;”

And it is vitally important that from the start
We recognize the recipient of his service.

Paul doesn’t mention how he served the flock,
But rather how he served “the Lord”

And this is an important distinction.
The service Paul rendered was not solely for the flock, but for the Lord.

Did he serve the flock? Yes

But his reason for serving the flock
Was that he loved the flock’s Shepherd.

This was the basis behind Jesus asking Peter to feed His sheep wasn’t it?

Jesus didn’t ask Peter:
“Peter, do you love the flock?”

Jesus three times asked Peter, “Peter, do you Me?”

It is an important perspective.
A shepherd must serve the sheep motivated by his love for Christ.

WHY?
Because not all sheep are loveable all the time.

It’s like with your marriage.
You do what you do for your spouse during the hard times
Because Christ asked it of you.

Well, it is the same with shepherding.
• It cannot just be done out of a fondness for the flock.
• The needs of the flock are never a strong enough motivator.

The shepherd must first and foremost
Have a love and affection for Christ.
He must desire to serve Christ.
He must desire to give back to Him.

As a boy we fed John Lovelace’s cows
(We didn’t do it because we loved the cows)

This is Paul’s motive.
He is serving Christ.
What he does for the flock, he really does for Christ.

And really, this isn’t just the call to shepherds
But is really our motive in all activity.

Colossians 3:23-24 “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”

Really, all of our work is for Christ, and when you know it is for Christ
You do a much better job.

Because unlike the people we often serve, Christ deserves it.

So Paul is serving Christ.
And here he is lifting up his example of how he served Him.

In verse 19 he gives three ways in which he served.

WITH HUMILITY
“serving the Lord with all humility”

Some would obviously find fault with this statement,
Especially when you realize that Paul is saying to copy him.
It almost sounds like he is saying,
“Be like me because I am so humble”

But Paul isn’t self-serving in his request.
He is merely pointing out that if anyone is going to be an effective shepherd, then humility is necessary.

• Now, what does he mean by that?
• What does a humble shepherd look like?

Does he walk around all day, with his head held low
constantly talking about how unworthy he is?

(No, often times that type of false humility is really just self-serving.)

A humble shepherd is one who realizes that on his own,
He cannot perform the task at hand.

He isn’t smart enough
He isn’t strong enough
He isn’t experienced enough

Shepherding God’s flock is beyond what he is capable of on his own.

And let me give you some examples of Paul’s humility in this regard.

Consider the letter he wrote to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

That is a tremendous picture of humility.
• He didn’t come spouting what he knew, he came preaching God’s truth.
• He didn’t come trusting his own methods, he came trusting God’s Spirit

This is a picture of humility.

I enjoy listening to preaching,
I don’t even mind watching preaching on television.

But the fastest way to turn me off when you are preaching
Is to go on some tirade of preaching based solely
On your own logic or experience.

I don’t listen to preaching to get practical examples
From another man’s experiences.

I listen to preaching to have my spirit edified
By a proper understanding of God’s truth.

To me, it is sheer arrogance for a preacher to draw only
From the bank of his own intelligence.

That is to assume that what he has to say
Is just as good as what God has to say.

Paul didn’t have that type of arrogance, he preached the truth,
And he put his own ego on the back burner.

Let me give you another example of Paul’s humility.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth. Now he who plants and he who waters are one; but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor. For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.”

If you will remember, the Corinthian church was plagued by division.
Some claimed to be of Paul, some of Apollos, some of Cephas, and some of Christ.

But Paul definitely did not fuel that fire, instead he extinguished it.
He explicitly stated that he in himself was nothing to honored,
He was merely a servant, God is the One who deserves all the glory.

• Where do you ever find Paul boasting about his success?
• Where do you ever find Paul relating baptismal numbers?
• Where do you ever find Paul marketing some church growth program he implemented?

What you will find is Paul counting himself nothing
And giving God all the glory.

Romans 15:18-19 “For I will not presume to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed, in the power of signs and wonders, in the power of the Spirit; so that from Jerusalem and round about as far as Illyricum I have fully preached the gospel of Christ.”

That is the kind of humility that Paul had.
• He wasn’t so arrogant as to preach his own message
• He wasn’t so arrogant as to assume success was his doing

AND THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY

WHY?
Because if you walk in arrogance, God won’t help you.

TURN TO: 1 PETER 5:1-7
We read this passage last week as we talked about
The establishment of elders and their role as an example to the flock.

(VERSES 1-4)
And those are tremendous words,
And literally saturated with a call to humility.
Don’t be domineering
Don’t rule according to your own will
Be an example

That is all laced with humility

And then Peter gives admonition to those younger men
Who are under the authority of the elders

(VERSE 5)

And notice at the end of that verse, “and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another,”

WHY?
“for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

You had better walk in humility because if you don’t,
God will be opposed to your ministry.

We learned from Isaiah that God does not share His glory.
And He will not give grace
To one who is only going to use it to glorify himself.

Humility is so important.
So Peter continues (VERSES 6-7)

So humble yourselves.

And that is exactly what Paul is saying to these Ephesian elders.
Imitate me.
Walk in humility.

Don’t trust in your own logic, don’t trust in your own experience,
Don’t assume you have some right to shepherd
Because you are smarter than everyone else.

Walk in humility, trust God’s word, trust God’s ways, lean on His strength.
Humble yourself in obedience to His will.

If you don’t do that, you cannot succeed as a shepherd.

So when Paul tells them to follow his example of service,
The first specific is to do so with humility
WITH TRUE CONCERN
“serving the Lord with all humility and with tears”

This is not to say that shepherds who cry are better than those who don’t.

What it does refer to is the amount of concern that the shepherd has.

Paul had fully given himself to God’s flock.
• It mattered to him how they turned out.
• It mattered to him how they walked.
• He really did care.

And there are passages that speak to this great concern.

Romans 9:1-3 “I am telling the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience testifies with me in the Holy Spirit, that I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,”

2 Corinthians 2:4 “For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you.”

Even in this passage:
Acts 20:29-31 “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. “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.”

That is a man who genuinely and deeply cares for his flock.
It was no small thing for them to struggle
It was no small thing for them to disobey
It was no small thing for them to fall into sin

You are familiar with that passage in 2 Corinthians 11
When Paul outlined his hardships in ministry,
I love the last one he gives:

2 Corinthians 11:28-29 “Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure on me of concern for all the churches. Who is weak without my being weak? Who is led into sin without my intense concern?”

Paul cared. It mattered.

I remember talking to a pastor on one occasion who had left his church
Based on some personal struggles and sin in his own life.

As he told me about the account, he looked at me with a smug grin on his face and said, “Man that church fell apart when I left.”

It was like a dagger to me.
Not only was he totally unconcerned
About the effect his sin might have on that congregation,

He was actually arrogantly relishing in the fact
That the church now struggled without him there.

I think I can confidently say that flock is better off with him gone.

Shepherds care about the flock at all times.

And consider Paul, God kept him on the move,
But did he ever forget the previous churches he started?
No, he continually cared for them.

And the underlying concern is for their spiritual health.
You don’t find Paul commenting much on physical ailments
(although he does some),
His predominant concern was the spiritual well-being of the flock.

That was Paul he served with humility and with tears.

Let me show you a third way in which Paul served.
WITH ENDURANCE
“and with trials which same upon me through the plots of the Jews”

It is not necessary to recount all the suffering Paul endured
In order to shepherd the flocks throughout Asia.

Beatings, imprisonments, mobs, mockings, stonings

Paul dealt with more than his fair share of trials.
And yet, he pressed on.

Toward the end of his life, when he wrote a letter to Timothy
Telling him to endure, Paul made a great statement:

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.”

• Why would Paul continue to face hardships?
• Why would Paul continue to enter synagogues?
• Why would Paul continue to preach?

Because he loved God’s flock.

He loved the flock that had already come to Christ,
And he loved the flock that had been ordained to come to Christ.

He endured for them.
Even now, he is on his way to Jerusalem, why?
Because he is serving the saints in the Jerusalem church.

And he knows it will cost him.
Acts 20:22-24 “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me. “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.”

That is endurance.

Remember what he wrote to the Philippians?
Philippians 1:21-26 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith, so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.”

That was a man that continually faced opposition,
Yet endured through it anyway all because he loved Christ
And determined to shepherd His flock.

A good shepherd doesn’t quit when it gets hard,
A good shepherd endures.

• So the flock is struggling…
• So the flock is sinning…
• So the flock doesn’t seem interested in the things of God…
• So the flock is straying…

That shepherd can’t quit, that is why they need a shepherd.

False shepherds are those who quit.
John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

And that is what Paul did.
He endured for the sake of those who are chosen.

And this is the example that he passed on to future shepherds.

Listen to him talk to Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:11-16 “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

I quote that verse a lot in regard to being committed to preaching,
But do you also see the obvious call for endurance
Throughout that passage?

How long should he give attention to the public reading of Scripture?
“Until I come”

Even when it is hard, “Do not neglect” your spiritual gift.

So it is difficult, well “Take pains with these things”

Paul even adamantly tells him, “persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

Timothy, you have got to endure, you have got to push through,
Salvation literally hangs in the balance.

A good shepherd doesn’t quit until the sheep are safely home.

2 Timothy 4:5 “But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”

There again the calling to “endure hardship”
So it’s hard, press on anyway.

And that is Paul’s example of how he served.

• When he served, he served with true humility, knowing all the power and wisdom had to come from God.

• When he served, he served with true concern, knowing that a shepherd who doesn’t care for his flock is a lousy shepherd.

• When he served, he served with genuine endurance, knowing that a shepherd who flees when the wolf comes is not a Christ-like shepherd.

And all the while, Paul knew that in his service of the flock,
It was really Christ he was serving.

 

 

That is how a shepherd serves.
That is what the flock should expect.

1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

Shepherding God’s Flock
Acts 20:17-38 (17-18)
March 31, 2013

As you know, we are presently in a section
Where Paul’s 3rd missionary journey is coming to a close.

He is bound in Spirit, headed to Jerusalem with an offering for the saints, When Paul gets there he will be arrested and eventually end up in Rome.

And yet, Paul is doing everything he can to be In Jerusalem by Pentecost.

This rush, caused him to sail past Ephesus, to keep from getting trapped there,
And yet Paul is not in such a hurry
That he doesn’t still want to minister to that church in some way.

The way Paul has chosen is to spend some time
With the Elders of the Ephesian church.

(17) “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

Paul’s desire is to hold a type of “Pastor’s Conference”
To minister to and encourage the elders.

This is a beautiful example of how Paul not only could have future goals,
But could also take the time to minister to present needs.

His life was a great balance.

And I am extremely glad he took the time to call these elders to himself,
For as he did, he left behind for us one of the great passages
In regard to shepherding God’s flock.

And this is a topic that must be understood
Not only by shepherds, but also by the flock.

Recently on Wednesday night, while studying Micah
We talked about the pivotal role leadership plays among God’s people.

• Good leaders are certainly used of God to guide His flock and lead
them to where God would have them to be.

• But bad leaders can be equally influential only in a much more
destructive way.

In fact, whenever you look back to some of the most severe judgments
Ever handed out to Israel, it wasn’t just the people that received blame.

God always shared the blame with their leaders.
To Hosea:
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

To Micah:
Micah 3:11-12 “Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the LORD saying, “Is not the LORD in our midst? Calamity will not come upon us.” Therefore, on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of ruins, And the mountain of the temple will become high places of a forest.”

To Jeremiah:
Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”

And of course that is why God had such a harsh message
For the shepherds of Ezekiel’s day.

Ezekiel 34:1-6 “Then the word of the LORD came to me saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel. Prophesy and say to those shepherds, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD, “Woe, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flock? “You eat the fat and clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat sheep without feeding the flock. “Those who are sickly you have not strengthened, the diseased you have not healed, the broken you have not bound up, the scattered you have not brought back, nor have you sought for the lost; but with force and with severity you have dominated them. “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”‘”

So you see the devastating effect that bad shepherds had on Israel.

That is not to excuse the people of the sin they committed,
But their sin does come with the understanding
That they had no one to guide them otherwise.

They had bad shepherds.

And this reality then led to a prophecy of a better Shepherd.
Ezekiel 34:23-24 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. “And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I the LORD have spoken.”

Of course that is a reference to the coming Messiah; Jesus Christ.

We have even read recently in our study of Matthew,
As Matthew quoted Zechariah.
Zechariah 11:4-8 “Thus says the LORD my God, “Pasture the flock doomed to slaughter. “Those who buy them slay them and go unpunished, and each of those who sell them says, ‘Blessed be the LORD, for I have become rich!’ And their own shepherds have no pity on them. “For I will no longer have pity on the inhabitants of the land,” declares the LORD; “but behold, I will cause the men to fall, each into another’s power and into the power of his king; and they will strike the land, and I will not deliver them from their power.” So I pastured the flock doomed to slaughter, hence the afflicted of the flock. And I took for myself two staffs: the one I called Favor and the other I called Union; so I pastured the flock. Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me.”

And that was certainly accurate of Jesus in His earthly ministry.

We read in Matthew 9
Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

And of course who can forget His famous sermon in John 10?

John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”

And so really all the picture becomes a reality in Jesus.
• Whereas Israel’s shepherds had continually led the flock astray and
slaughtered the sheep for their own greedy gain.
• Christ came, not to kill the sheep, but to lay down His life for the sheep.
• He came to shepherd God’s flock.

And we love the fact that God’s flock was more than just Israel.

Jesus said:
John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”

And so obviously we understand then the picture of what occurred.
• Israel had bad shepherds who continually led her into sin and judgment.
• Christ became the Good Shepherd to rescue the sheep and bring them back into the fold.

You will even see later in Acts 20,
That this was a flock that He purchased with His own blood.

So Christ basically completed or fulfilled
All that God intended of Israel’s Old Testament shepherds.

THE QUESTION IS, WHERE DOES IT GO FROM THERE?

Christ came, purchased God’s flock, gathered God’s flock,
And then Christ ascended back to God.
What now?

He appointed new shepherds to tend that flock.
Who can forget John 21?
John 21:15-17 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

Many sermons have been preached on this text
Speaking about the 3 fold call to love Jesus.

We’ve heard the difference in Greek words of Phileo and Agape
Regarding the type of love Jesus asked for from Peter.

What is tragically so often overlooked is that
In expressing this love Jesus had a distinct request of Peter.
“Tend My lambs”
“Shepherd My sheep”
“Tend My sheep”

Christ was leaving, His flock was remaining, and so
Christ gave a responsibility to certain men
To take care of His flock until He returned.

These men, whom He entrusted, where His chosen ones, His apostles.

So, having now been purchased and gathered,
The flock once again was put under shepherds
To feed them, to guide them, to protect them, and to care for them.

And that is precisely what these men did.
We find these men teaching the flock
We find these men defending the flock
We find these men ministering to the flock

BUT THEN, THE QUESTION AROSE AGAIN, WHAT NEXT?
I mean, obviously all of these men died, so what happens next?

Well, the process continued to repeat itself.

Those whom Christ appointed as shepherds then began to appoint others
To shepherd His flock when they would leave.

1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
This is precisely the point of Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus.

Paul is very thorough to outline the QUALIFICATIONS of a shepherd,
The EXPECTATIONS of a shepherd, the CONDUCT of a shepherd, etc.

Those letters are full of the ins and outs of shepherding God’s flock.

These apostles were passing the torch that had been passed to them.

And that has been seen practically thus far in the book of Acts.

Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”

And not only do we have the apostles appointing elders,
But we see that trend literally continue to trickle down.

We actually have Paul commanding those he has appointed
To then appoint others.

Titus 1:4-5 “To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”

What we have then here occurring is literally a theocracy at work.

We have one head, who is that?
Christ.

The flock is His, He purchased them, He is the chief Shepherd.
The flock is under His complete authority.

Who else has authority over Christ’s flock?
NO ONE
Unless Christ gives them that authority.

So if Christ comes to the flock and says,
“I’m leaving Peter in charge, listen to Him”.

Then Peter also has authority, as he stands upon the authority of Christ.
It isn’t Peter’s authority, it is Christ’s authority given to Peter.

Now, with that authority
Comes some very severe and obvious implications.

1) To reject Peter is to reject who? Christ.
2) If Peter shepherd’s poorly, who does he answer to? Christ.

It leaves Christ as the head, Christ in charge,
Christ to lead, guide, and ultimately judge.
So we have Christ as the Chief Shepherd,
And then we have those whom He entrusts or calls
As the under shepherds of His flock.

One other thing we notice is that
There was always a plurality of these men.

Even here in Acts 20:17, “…and called to him the elders of the church.”
In Titus 1:5, “…appoint elders in every city…”
1 Peter 5:1, “I exhort the elders among you…”
Acts 14:23, “When they had appointed elders for them in every church…”

Now I know we have had some of these conversations in the past,
And some were very concerned about the implications.

So listen, I’m not trying to implement these things right now.

The first time these truths were shown to me,
I responded with as much opposition and hesitation as many of you,
If not more so.

It went against everything I was used to.
And it took me about 5 years before I was even ready to listen.

The point is, God continually reminds me of the importance of
Being patient with His flock, and to allow His Spirit to work.

The reason we are talking about it is because
God works through a proper understanding of His word
And so while we aren’t trying
To change our entire ecclesiastical approach tonight,
We must always be willing to take an honest evaluation of God’s word.

And what we clearly see in God’s word is
Christ is and always remains the head of His church,
And that He entrusted the care of His church to under shepherds
Referred to as elders, pastors, or overseers.

You don’t find God’s church being pastored by one guy,
You don’t find the direction of the flock left solely to the will of the flock.
And that is what Christ instituted.

And it is very important that we all understand this.

THE WAY CHRIST INSTITUTED THE LEADERSHIP IN HIS CHURCH WAS FOR ONE MAIN PURPOSE

THE BENEFIT OF THE FLOCK
• This method of leadership is not about the glory of the shepherd…
• This method of leadership is not about the benefit of the shepherd…
• This method is not so that men can claim abusive authority or some sort of self-serving benefit from the flock…

That was what Israel had before Christ,
He certainly is not restoring the flock under that type of rule.

Rather, Christ put His flock in the care of elders
So that corporately they could seek His will,
To shepherd His flock, in the way that He desired.

If you need examples of that occurring in Scripture, we have seen several.

In Acts 5
The flock was threatened with the spiritual threat of greed and glory.
Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit about how much money their land was sold for in order to gain selfish glory from the church.

Peter stepped in to protect the flock by confronting and exposing them both, God actually enforced Peter’s verdict by killing them both.

We saw another example in Acts 6
Some of the widows were being overlooked in the distribution of food and the problem was brought to the apostle’s attention.

Acts 6:2-5 “So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables. “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. “But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.”

And that passage actually reveals
A tremendous balance of leadership and sensitivity.

The apostles found the guidance of the Lord as to their role,
And they outlined the type of men that must be selected to carry out this duty,
But they were sensitive also to the congregation,
Giving them a definite hand in selecting these men.

It was a beautiful picture of selfless, humble,
And yet authoritative leadership.

We saw another example in Acts 15
Acts 15:1 “Some men came down from Judea and began teaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

A doctrinal issue arose.
What is the church’s stance on Gentile circumcision?
That was a huge issue.

What was the result?
Acts 15:6 “The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.”

And when they came to a Spirit-led conclusion,
The apostles and elders issued an authoritative verdict.

Acts 15:23-29 “and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by word of mouth. “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

And here is the point:
The presence and purpose of elders is NEVER to abuse or harm
Or rob the flock of any of their God-given rights or blessings.

The presence and purpose of elders is ALWAYS to feed, protect, And guide God’s flock to fully realize all that God has for them.

And I just take those truths and place them in your mind and heart,
So that God’s Spirit can work as He sees fit.

But at the very least now you have an understanding and a basis for
Why the Ephesians had elders and why Paul is eager to meet with them.

Paul knows that the leadership of the flock is important,
And that any guidance and instruction he gives to them
Will directly affect God’s flock.

ALL THAT BEING SAID:
What we have here is Paul giving one of the best passages ever
On what it means to shepherd the flock of God.

We won’t even get close to covering it all tonight, it may actually take us a few weeks.

But here we see 5 things from Paul.
• His Example of how a shepherd lives
• His Expectation of what a shepherd receives
• His Exoneration of his own shepherding record
• His Exhortation to how they should shepherd
• His Entrusting of the flock to their care

So this passage focuses totally on the shepherd, not the flock.
It matters what sort of men they are, and how they shepherd.

Without a doubt one of the biggest causes of anxiety to a flock
Is the possibility or reality of a bad shepherd.

Whether you are in an elder led system,
Or even a single pastor / congregation led system,
The threat of a bad leader is very concerning.

Just as in the Old Testament,
A bad leader can do far more harm to a flock than good.

And it is no wonder that churches can develop a distrust of leaders.
• Too many flocks have been ravaged…
• Too many flocks have been abused…
• Too many flocks have been neglected…
• Too many flocks have been abandoned…

That is why it is important for sheep and shepherd’s alike
To know what a true shepherd looks like.

Now I do want to get started on this text tonight,
But we obviously won’t make it very far.

So let’s look at Paul’s first point
To this group of elders that have traveled out to meet him.

#1 PAUL’S EXAMPLE OF HOW A SHEPHERD LIVES
Acts 20:17-21

When Paul calls these elders to himself,
He wastes no time getting straight to the point.

And before Paul actually gives direct commands
He first reminds them of his example before them.

(18) “And when they had come to him, he said to them, “You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,”

Paul here does something that is almost a lost concept in church today.
In fact today, Paul would be considered arrogant.

But Paul is actually telling these elders to imitate him.
And I know that causes many today to sort of throw their heads back
And accuse Paul of the worst forms of arrogance.

But what it really is, is what is expected.

The shepherd is supposed to be an example for the flock to follow.

Certainly Christ is our ultimate example,
But our earthly shepherds are also supposed to be those
Who show us how to practically live the Christian life.

So a Christian should most certainly ask WWJD,
But a Christian should also be able to look to their shepherd
For an example of that as well.

Jesus did this as a Shepherd:
John 13:15 “For I gave you an example that you also should do as I did to you.”

And then Scripture affirmed this for all of His under shepherds.

• First as a mandate for shepherds to set a proper example:
1 Peter 5:2-3 “shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

1 Timothy 4:12 “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

• And then for the flock to follow that example:
Hebrews 13:7 “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.”

And certainly Paul understood that concept well.
1 Corinthians 4:16 “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.”

1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.”

Philippians 3:17 “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.”

Philippians 4:9 “The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

1 Thessalonians 1:6 “You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit,”

And that mindset is carried on here,
When Paul lays out the example
That he intends for the Ephesian elders to follow.

The reality is that Shepherds are supposed to lead exemplary lives
And the flock is supposed to follow their example.

So Paul focuses on that concept, by pointing out that example to them.

He is pointing out, “how I was with you”
This is not what I taught, this is how I lived.
2 Corinthians 10:11 “Let such a person consider this, that what we are in word by letters when absent, such persons we are also in deed when present.”

And that is what he is calling their attention to here.
I want you to remember what sort of man I was.

Now from there Paul is going to outline:
• How he Served
• How he Spoke
• How he Shared

But that we’ll get into next time:

For now, let me just draw your mind
To the importance of leadership,
And the idea that leadership greatly affects God’s flock.

 

It is not something that we can take lightly,
Nor is it something that we need to do in an incorrect way.

Throughout the centuries, the health of the flock
Has depended largely on the shepherds that have guided her.

 

And next week, we’ll continue looking at
What those shepherds are supposed to be.

Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”

Balancing Future Goals with Immediate Needs
Acts 20:1-17
March 24, 2013

As you know we are currently studying in Paul’s third missionary journey
Here in the book of Acts.

This journey has been every bit as intense as the first two, if not more so.
• He has been beaten
• He has been imprisoned
• He has been publicly mocked
• He has been rerouted
• He has been financially strapped
• Three times he has faced a mob

And yet through it all
Paul has maintained a tremendous focus and endurance.

And in a way it is that same focus
That Luke seems to highlight for us here tonight.

Now often times when we think of ENDURANCE or PERSEVERANCE
We often equate it with some sort of STUBBORNNESS.

You know, where a person follows their dreams or their goal
And refuses to yield for anyone or anything.

That would be a selfish type of endurance,
That generally only leads to broken hearts and regrets.

Many times we have heard stories of fathers who chased the golden rainbow of career and success and financial stability only to regret it all later in life when they realized they didn’t know their children.

Or we hear a story of an athlete or musician who sacrifices everything from personal health to personal purity to achieve that goal, only to reach it and realize the utter emptiness of it.

That is not the type of endurance Paul had.
His endurance was not self-serving.
His endurance was not selfish in the least.

Paul had an endurance that focused on others, not himself.

DOES THAT MEAN HE HAD NO PERSONAL GOALS?
No, in fact last week we saw a personal goal emerge,
And we see it again this week.

But what we also see was that Paul also had a selfless mentality
That allowed him to pursue his goal without neglecting people.

I think we can all agree that this is a valuable asset to learn.
Paul continually pushed forward to follow that call in his spirit

And yet he never failed to see what was presently in front of him.

One might say, “He never lost sight of the future, but never failed to see the present.”

This passage greatly illustrates that.

SO WHAT WAS PAUL’S PERSONAL GOAL?
We actually saw it last week.

Acts 19:21 “Now after these things were finished, Paul purposed in the Spirit to go to Jerusalem after he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, saying, “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.”

Paul’s personal goal was a complex one.

It is important to note that even his personal goal was not a selfish one.
• He didn’t have grand visions of retirement
• He wasn’t saving for an RV to eventually take off in
• He wasn’t planning for the day when he could play more golf

Paul’s personal goals were still spiritual ones.

Namely, Paul wanted to make it to Jerusalem
And ultimately to make it to Rome.

In fact Acts 19:21 said he “purposed in the Spirit” to do those things.
This was his goal.

Now, even last week we saw that he did not instantly act upon that goal.
Even though this was his desire he still stayed in Ephesus for a while.

WHY?
Because at that time they had a riot, and certainly he did not want to flee Ephesus and leave that church at risk until the time was right.

But his goal was clear.

And hopefully as we read this passage at the beginning of this sermon that goal became evident to you as well, for we see it continually.

In verse 1 he finally leaves Ephesus and head to Macedonia and then to Greece.

He had that offering for the saints in Jerusalem that he wanted to collect,
So he first went to do that.

And then we notice in verse 3 that he “was about to set sail for Syria”
(That is Jerusalem)

Paul had collected the offering and he was ready to go to Jerusalem,
Just as he desired.

Circumstances arose and was not able to do that,
Instead he had to walk back up through Macedonia and sail back to Asia.

But even then time and time again he is trying to speed the trip along.

In verse 5 we find him sending his mission team on ahead of him to wait for him in Asia.
This is called, giving yourself an excuse to move on.
But even then he gets caught in Philippi for five days.

In verse 7 we find him in Troas, but he is so eager to leave the next day that he preaches all night long.

And in verse 11 he does leave at daybreak.

He is a man doing everything he can to get back.

Even later in verse 16 it says, “For Paul decided to sail past Ephesus so that he would not have to spend time in Asia; for he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”

You can see his urgency to fulfill his personal desire.

Next week we will see it again as Paul speaks to the Ephesian elders.
Acts 20:22 “And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,”

So his personal goal is obvious.
He had a plan and he really wanted to fulfill it.

HOWEVER, there is a reason why Paul continues to be delayed.
He was not so focused on Jerusalem
That he could not see the people right under his nose.

In other words he wasn’t about to neglect ministry opportunities
Right before him just to get to ministry opportunities in Rome.

And I have to say I fully understand this tension.
Weekly I have a burden that literally climbs on my shoulder, it is the burden of the sermons and Bible studies I have to prepare.

In my perfect world, I would be shut up in my office without a single interruption, free to study and prepare to my heart’s content.

But, continually preparation gets interrupted.
(Now that is not a bad thing)

• Someone will come in burdened about a situation in life…
• Someone will come in confused about what to do…
• Someone will come in needing help…
• Someone may just come in needing to talk…

Now, if I am in a particularly selfish mood I will think, “Great, here they go messing up my time to prepare, don’t they know I have to preach this week!”

But here is the reality.
• God doesn’t call us just to preach from pulpits on Sundays.
• What God has just given me is an opportunity to share His truth or encouragement with someone who has entered my office.

Now, while I have to focus on the sermon that is coming, I can’t be so busy that I don’t have time for the opportunity that just fell right in my lap.

It is the future goal and the present need.
AND PAUL BALANCES THAT AS WELL AS ANYONE.

He wanted to get to Jerusalem in a hurry,
Let me show you the things that delayed him.

There are 7 in this text.
#1 THE NECESSITY OF EXHORTATION
Acts 20:1-3a

I really love all the aspects we see about Paul in this passage,
But I probably identify with this one more than the rest.

We all know the mission Paul is on.
He is on an offering collecting mission.
That is really the only goal.

But Paul couldn’t just leave it at that.
Everywhere he goes he still finds this need to exhort the believers.

“After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia.”

He knew it was time to leave,
But not without one final word of exhortation to them.

And even when he finally made it to Macedonia:
(2) “When he had gone through those districts and had given them much exhortation he came to Greece.”

And even when he came to Greece, “there he spent three months” (presumably doing the same thing)

THE POINT?
Paul was in a hurry, but he was never in such a hurry
That he didn’t have time to stop and exhort God’s church.

“Exhortation” translates PARKLESIS
“a calling to another for encouragement or comfort”

To help you understand the Holy Spirit is the PARAKLETE
(The Comforter, Counselor, Helper)

Exhortation can be seen in both a positive and negative way.
It can be a cheer to continue, or a rebuke to change.
But it is important either way.

Paul told Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:2 “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.”

Ephesians teaches us:
Ephesians 4:11-13 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.”

To put it plainly, we all need those people in our lives
Who will take the truth of Scripture and use that to exhort us.

This is one of the reasons
Why assembling together with believers is so important.

God never intended Christians to have a “Lone Ranger” approach.

You know we hear this “I can worship God anywhere” quote a lot today,
And it just isn’t Biblical.

WE NEED THE EXHORATION OF OTHER BELIEVERS

Paul understood that, so even though he wanted to quickly get to Jerusalem, he wasn’t too busy to give some exhortation on the way.

The Necessity of Exhortation
#2 THE NECESSITY OF ESCAPE
Acts 20:3b

“and when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia.”

So Paul traveled through Macedonia, and down into Greece
Collecting the offering and exhorting as he went.

But now he was ready to get to Jerusalem.
He planned to sail from Greece directly to Syria (Jerusalem)

But a problem arose.
“a plot was formed”

Undoubtedly these Jews from Corinth who still hated Paul had a plan
By which they were going to trap and harm him as he sought to set sail.

This meant Paul must now change his plans due to necessity for safety.

We talk a lot about endurance and perseverance.
And when it came to preaching the gospel Paul had it.

But there was no sense facing opposition
Just for the sake of traveling where you wanted to go.

Furthermore, Paul was now carrying the offering,
And it may have been that he didn’t want to risk getting this financial add back to Jerusalem.
So we see Paul not just focused on the future,
But also keenly aware of what is going on around him.

So now Paul is turning around and traveling north back to Macedonia.

The Necessity of Exhortation, The Necessity of Escape
#3 THE NECESSITY OF EXALTATION
Acts 20:4-6

Now here first of all we see that Paul is still seeking to move quickly.
Paul had been trying to make it to Jerusalem in time for Passover,
But his attempt to sail to Syria had been foiled.

But now Paul is still in a hurry.
In fact Luke mentions Paul’s traveling companions,
But also that he sent them ahead of him to wait for him.

(5) “But these had gone on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.”

Troas was in Asia, where Paul was intending to sail to.

And the idea is that he is trying to move everyone as quickly as possible.
If his traveling party is ahead of him, he has a reason to keep moving on.

But you will notice in verse 6 that Paul still takes 5 days to follow.
WHY?

(6) “We sailed from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and came to them at Troas within five days;”
Paul delayed because of the Passover.
“the days of Unleavened Bread” was the Passover feast.

Paul was in a hurry, but he wasn’t in so much of a hurry
That he couldn’t stop and spend time worshiping
With other fellow believers.

Jesus has given specific instructions in the upper room.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26 “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.”

We as believers are not confined only to the Passover
In order to take the Lord’s Supper.

But certainly for a Jew, who was used to partaking in the Passover feast, it was important to commemorate that feast, by focusing back on the death of Christ.

This would have been an important time of worship
For Paul and the Philippian believers.
(THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN EASTER SUNDAY)

And again we are reminded of an important lesson.

We all have goals, we all have ministry plans, but none of those are so important that we don’t take time to stop and worship.

We are all familiar with the Martha and Mary story:
Luke 10:38-42 “Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

It is very similar to when Mary later anointed Jesus’ feet with perfume.
Matthew 26:10-11 “But Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you bother the woman? For she has done a good deed to Me. “For you always have the poor with you; but you do not always have Me.”

The idea again being, that we should not get so caught up in ministry
That we fail to spend time with Jesus.

Paul understood that he was never in such a hurry for tomorrow
That he couldn’t stop and worship today.

It was the necessity of exaltation.
#4 THE NECESSITY OF EXPLANATION
Acts 20:7, 11-12

We saw in verse 6 that Paul had stayed for 7days in Troas.

And on the 8th day Paul had plans of leaving.

We also noticed that day 7 was a Sunday.
“the first day of the week”

Here is the earliest indication of the church now meeting on the Lord’s Day,
And not the Jewish Sabbath.

If we had time we could embark on a discussion here about the fact that the church is NOT under the Sabbath day commandments.

• I can give you a few quick reasons
• The Sabbath is never observed until the Mosaic Law at Sinai
• The Mosaic Law was the old covenant with Israel
• The church is not under that old covenant
• Some believers still observed it (considered weak in faith)

But we now worship in the Lord’s Day,
Commemorating the resurrection of Christ.
Here, the church is doing just that.

Now the unique thing is that Paul is in a hurry to leave
And he doesn’t have much time to tell them all they need to know.

And his options are these.
• Delay the trip
• Skip the preaching
• Preach longer on this Sunday

Paul opted for the 3rd
It was important for him to move on,
But it was also important that he feed a flock that wanted truth.

Verse 7 says “Paul began talking to them…”

The indication here is that this was not just preaching,
But rather a time of dialogue, question answering, and discipleship.

Paul would have been answering questions, explaining truth,
And instructing the believers as to how to live.

And because this was important, even though he was pressed for time, “he prolonged his message until midnight.”

As we will see in a minute,
The congregation then had a tragedy and a miracle.

But as soon as that was over:
(11-12) “When he had gone back up and had broken the bread and eaten, he talked with them a long while until daybreak, and then left. They took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted.”

So Paul literally taught all night long.
And this really speaks volumes
To Paul’s commitment and love for the church.

Now granted if I told you that we were going to preach all night tonight, and I would let you out in the morning,
You would moan groan, probably get up and leave.

But here we have believers in Troas who obviously did not have a New Testament, and maybe even had leaders with limited knowledge.
Here was their opportunity to learn and have truth explained.
They were hungry.

So hungry in fact that they were willing and eager
To hand with Paul as long as he would teach them.

And when Paul came across that hunger, he was willing to oblige them.

Incidentally you still hear of stories like this in 3rd world countries today.
Places were Christianity is illegal, and where Bible’s and trained preachers are scarce.

The idea is because they are hungry.

These Troas believers were and Paul was not in such a hurry
That he couldn’t stop and explain truth to hungry believers.

That is a beautiful picture of his willingness to see the need of the moment, not just focus on his future plans.

The Necessity of Explanation, Escape, Exaltation, Explanation
#5 THE NECESSITY OF EMPATHY
Acts 20:8-10

Now, I expect everyone here to really zone in on these three verses.

If anyone here ever wanted to make a case
About the dangers of long preaching, this would be your passage.
That’s why we put you on padded pews, and not window sills

But as Paul is preaching, there was a young man
Who just couldn’t go on any longer. He fell asleep and fell
From a 3rd story window, and according to Luke, the fall killed him.

And really what we see here is Paul’s concern and compassion.

• Paul had plans, but he wasn’t so busy that he wouldn’t take the time to preach to people who wanted to hear it.

• And when he was preaching, he wasn’t so focused that he couldn’t stop and meet an obvious need that was occurring.

It is just a picture of him being focused on the goal
And sensitive to the present.

And then, when all was well, Paul went back to preaching.

#6 THE NECESSITY OF EVANGELISM
Acts 20:13

So by now we have seen that Paul is in a hurry,
But that he is willing to delay his personal goals for present needs.
That is still the case.

Now we have the mission team setting sail from Troas to Assos,
But Paul determines to let them sail while he walks.

It isn’t really spelled out here, but it isn’t hard to get into Paul’s mind.

When you look at a map, this would have been an area that may have never have been covered by Paul.

He had always either sailed form Troas in the north,
Or Ephesus in the south, but may have not ever covered this section.

I really think that this intentional plan of Paul’s
Must have had something to do with evangelism,
Or at the very least walking through an area to see what occurred.

And even without proving it here,
It is not hard to see in Paul’s life that the present need
To share the gospel always superseded Paul’s future goals.

One only has to go back to Philippi and listen to Paul witness to the jailor
Who was about to take his own life.

Paul knew how to put his own plans on the back burner
For the sake of evangelism.
The Necessity of Exhortation, Escape, Exaltation, Explanation, Empathy, Evangelism
#7 THE NECESSITY OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Acts 20:14-17

Now this one will most certainly be fleshed out more next week.

But again we see Paul’s urgency.
Through a series of voyages Paul finally makes it to Miletus.

And once again we see his desire to make it to Jerusalem.
(That really is the driving force behind this passage)

We have a man who desperately wants to make it to Jerusalem,
He is just so compelled for the pressing needs of the moment
That he would put it on the back burner.

But don’t assume making it to Jerusalem is no big deal to him, it is.

Here he purposely sails past Ephesus.
He knows if he stops there he will get caught there.

And Scripture is clear, he may have missed out on the Passover, but now “he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost.”

He is in a hurry.

But again this is so remarkable of Paul.
(17) “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

So there is Paul, he sails past Ephesus,
But he just can’t bear to not give more encouragement and instruction.

So Paul holds a little pastor’s conference there at Miletus.
He calls the elders to him,
And you’ll see next week the encouragement he has for them.

But the point is, he just couldn’t sail by
Without doing something to aid and encourage the church.

So throughout this trip you see a man in an obvious hurry,
And yet a man who was still concerned about the church
And willing to do whatever he could for them.

It is a tremendous balance.

There are many statements by Paul that really indicate
His love for the church, but the one I find the most fitting here is:

2 Corinthians 12:15 “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?”

And you can see that here can’t you.
• He had goals
• He had plans (they were even Spirit-let plans)
• But he also had a love that would not allow him to leave the church in wanting

He was pressed to give what they needed,
Even if it messed up his personal desires.
And in doing so, I think he gives us a pretty good example.

• Don’t forget that people need to be exhorted
• Don’t forget that Christ needs to be exalted
• Don’t forget that the truth needs to be explained
• Don’t forget that suffering demands empathy
• Don’t forget that the lost require evangelism
• Don’t forget that the church needs encouragement

And obviously we could have dwelt on each of those
And sort of expounded on them, but you get the main point.

Serve Christ.
Love people.

And God will manage to work it all out.

Jesus said it like this:
Matthew 10:7-8 “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely you received, freely give.”