Pastoral Ministry (Shepherds and Teachers)

that are far beyond what I have myself attained in my life.

But Lord, I stand here

because I have received this ministry

by your grace.

Not because of my worthiness,

but because you are gracious and merciful.

So I ask now that you would empower the preaching of your word,

that your powerful word would have its intended effect

as your spirit works in us.

Exalt the name of your son, Jesus Christ.

Fill our hearts with overflowing love of Christ,

of for Christ.

In his precious name we pray.

Amen.

In Acts chapter 20, verses 17 to 28.

Acts 20:17–28

Now from Miletus, he sent to Ephesus

and called the elders of the church to come to him.

And when they came to him, he said to them,

you yourselves know how I lived among you

the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia,

serving the Lord with all humility

and with tears and with trials

that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.

How I did not shrink from declaring to you

anything that was profitable

and teaching you in public and from house to house,

testifying both to Jews and to Greeks

of repentance toward God

and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And now behold, I am going to Jerusalem,

constrained by the Spirit,

not knowing what will happen to me there,

except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me

in every city that imprisonment

and afflictions await me.

But I do not account my life of any value,

nor as precious to myself,

if only I may fit my course

in the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus,

to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

And now behold,

I know that none of you among whom I have gone

about proclaiming the kingdom

will see my face again.

Therefore, I testify to you this day

that I am innocent of the blood of all,

for I did not shrink from declaring to you

the whole counsel of God.

Pay careful attention to yourselves

and to all the flock

in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,

to care for the church of God,

which he obtained with his own blood.

I know that after my departure,

fierce wolves will come in among you,

not sparing the flock.

And from among your own selves

will arise men speaking twisted things

to draw away the disciples after them.

Therefore, be alert,

remembering that for three years

I did not seize night or day

to admonish everyone with tears.

And now I commend you to God

and to the word of his grace,

which is able to build you up

and to give you the inheritance

among all those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel.

You yourselves know that these ones

minister to my necessities

and to those who are with me.

In all things, I have shown you

that by working hard in this way,

we must help the weak

and remember the words of the Lord Jesus,

how he himself said,

it is more blessed to give than to receive.

And when he had said these things,

he knelt down and prayed with them all.

And there was much weeping on the part of all.

They embraced Paul and kissed him,

being sorrowful most of all

because of the word he had spoken

that they would not see his face again.

And they accompanied him to the ship.

This is God's holy and authoritative word.

Almost every single guest preacher we have

in our church have commented to me

that we have a very attentive congregation,

that you guys listen to sermons very well.

But if I were to tell you

that this is the last sermon

I will ever preach to you,

I think you'd be even more attentive

because last words, parting words are weighty.

And people share what is dearest to their hearts.

This passage contains Paul's last words

to the church in Ephesus.

And it's the only one of Paul's speeches

recorded in the book of Acts

that's directed entirely to Christians.

As verse 16 says,

Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus

so that he might not have to spend time in Asia

for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem

if possible on the day of Pentecost.

But during his layover at Miletus,

he just couldn't pass up the opportunity

to address the elders of the Ephesian church

one more time.

And so he asks them to make the 20-mile journey south

to come to him in verse 17.

And this is how he exhorted him.

This is his main exhortation.

Remember that elders are called to serve the Lord

by shepherding his church.

That's the main point of this, his Paul's address.

Even though God will only call some of you

to be elders of a local church,

since elders are commanded in 1 Peter 5, 2-3

to shepherd the flock of God

and be examples to the flock.

And because Ephesians 4, 10-11 tells us

that God raises up shepherds and teachers

in the church not to do all the work of ministry themselves,

but to equip the saints for the work of ministry,

for building up the body of Christ.

Much of what Paul says here

to the elders of the Ephesian church

apply to every single Christian.

So elders are called to serve the Lord

by shepherding his church.

So we're going to look at those two in part.

First, the servant of the Lord and his word.

That's what elders are.

They're also shepherds of the church of God.

Verses 18-19 say that

when the elders of the Ephesian church came to Paul,

he said to them,

You yourselves know how I lived among you

the whole time from the first day

that I set foot in Asia,

serving the Lord with all humility

and with tears and with trials

that happened to me through the plots of the Jews.

Paul's farewell speech here

is very heavily autobiographical

because he's exhorting the Ephesian elders

to follow the example that he set for them

while he was ministering among them.

He's saying, in effect,

Be imitators of me as I am of Christ.

And Paul reminds them,

You yourselves know this,

how I lived among you the whole time

from the first day that I set foot in Asia.

Paul was not a recluse.

He did not live in splendid isolation

in monastery or a parsonage somewhere

appearing once a week to preach

and then disappearing again,

sheltered from the needs and sins

in the lives of the Ephesian church.

He lived among them.

And Paul's lifestyle was consistent.

He was a part of their lives.

And the whole time,

from the first day he set foot in Asia,

he lived in this consistent way.

And how did Paul live?

He says,

Serving the Lord with all humility

and with tears and with trials

that happened to me

through the plots of the Jews.

The Greek word that is translated

serve here is not the usual word

that is used in the New Testament

for serving or ministering to someone.

It's a word that actually means

to serve as someone's slave.

It means literally to be owned by another,

to be a slave, to be subjected.

In many of his letters,

Paul describes himself proudly

as a slave of Christ.

He lived as a servant

who was completely disposed

to the will of his Lord.

That's what it means to serve with humility,

to renounce one's right to rule,

to be subject, subject oneself

to the lordship of another.

And this is why,

precisely why,

the ancient Greeks despised humility.

If you search ancient Greek literature,

you will not come across a single instance

where the word humility

has positive associations.

The ancient Greeks saw humility

as a bad thing,

a lowly and contemptible thing,

something that is only fitting for a slave.

The only strange group of ancient people

that extolled humility as a virtue

were the Christians.

And that's because they followed Jesus,

who said,

whoever would be great among you

must be your servant.

And whoever would be first among you

must be your slave.

Even as the Son of Man

came not to be served,

but to serve

and to give his life

as a ransom for many.

An elder,

and every Christian for that matter,

is a servant of the Lord,

a slave of Christ.

Have you renounced your right to rule?

Have you forfeited your power

to set your own agenda?

Paul knows that ministry

is not about himself.

He doesn't invite the Ephesian elders

to admire his accomplishments.

He has no accolades to point to.

Instead,

he points to his core identity

as a slave of the Lord Jesus.

He says,

remember how I lived among you

as a slave,

serving with all humility.

That's the call of the Christian.

Paul also says

that he served the Lord

with tears and with trials

that happened to him

through the plots of the Jews.

Tears and trials

suggests that Paul endured

much suffering and sadness

in service to his Lord,

much of it due to the persecutions

and the plots of the Jews.

In 2 Timothy chapter 4,

2 Timothy 4:1–4

verses 1 to 4,

Paul charges Timothy

with a series of

pastoral responsibilities.

These are the things

you must do as a pastor,

including preach the word,

be ready in season

and out of season,

reprove,

rebuke,

and exhort

with complete patience

and teaching.

Do the work of an evangelist.

Fulfill your ministry.

But sandwiched

in the middle of that list,

you find something surprising.

The command,

endure suffering.

That's one of

the job requirements

of a pastor.

This is why at the time

of Paul's conversion,

chapter 9,

God said of him,

I will show him

how much he must suffer

for the sake of my name.

If we are serving the Lord,

we will suffer

because there will be opposition

from the world,

from the flesh,

and from the devil.

But we are commanded

to endure.

And that's what Paul did.

And no,

it was not easy.

Paul was not a stoic.

He didn't meet suffering

with detached indifference

or unfeeling callousness.

He says he endured it

with tears.

All the setbacks,

all the disappointments,

all the suffering.

And then in verses 20 to 27,

Paul tells us the ways

in which he served the Lord.

So this section

is structured chiastically,

meaning the first half of it

is mirrored by the second half.

And then there's one element

in the middle,

which is the core,

the most important part

that he's trying to emphasize

that stands by itself

that doesn't have

a matching element.

So if you look at verse 20,

he says,

I did not shrink

from declaring the word of God.

And that's matched

by verse 27.

I did not shrink

from declaring

the whole counsel of God.

Verse 21,

he says,

I testify to both Jews

and Greeks.

And in verse 26,

he says,

I testify that I am innocent

of the blood of all

because he's spoken

to all of them.

And then verses 22 to 23,

he says,

and now behold,

I am going to Jerusalem.

And then in verse 25,

he says,

and now behold,

none of you will see me again.

And that leaves verse 24

by itself.

And that's what he's really

trying to hammer home.

And it is that I do not

account my life

of any value.

If only I may finish

the course.

So first,

Paul says in verse 20,

I did not shrink

from declaring to you

anything that was profitable

and teaching you in public

and from house to house.

That's matched by verse 27.

I did not shrink

from declaring to you

the whole counsel of God.

Why might someone shrink

from declaring

the whole counsel of God?

Isn't it profitable for them?

Why might some people

shrink from telling people

what is good for them?

It's because as Paul warns

in Timothy,

in 2 Timothy 4.3,

some people will not

endure sound teaching,

but having itching ears,

they will accumulate

for themselves teachers

to soothe their own passions.

People who want to pursue

their own selfish desires

and sinful passions

don't want to hear

profitable teaching

from God's word.

They don't want to be

convicted or challenged.

They don't want to hear

the whole counsel of God.

Instead,

they want to cherry pick

passages they like.

They accumulate for themselves

teachers who will

scratch their itches

and say things

that suit their desires.

This is why some elders

might shrink from declaring

the whole counsel of God.

because if they preach

from certain passages

that go against

the spirit of the times,

some of their church members

might leave.

Some of the visitors

might never come back.

Some of their church,

well, outsiders

who are observing

might ridicule them,

criticize them,

maybe even persecute them.

But Paul says

he did not shrink

from declaring

everything that was profitable.

because rather than

fearing people,

Paul loved people.

So whether they

wanted to hear it or not,

he declared to them

anything that was

profitable to them.

And Paul didn't have

the option of not

declaring the whole

counsel of God

because,

as we said,

he was a servant

of the Lord Jesus.

A servant

who is sent out

to deliver a message

for his master

does not have

the power

to add to the message

or subtract

from the message.

He's merely

a messenger.

He doesn't get

to choose

the message

because he is

already a slave

of Christ.

He cannot

be enslaved

to the opinions

of man.

And Paul declared

the whole counsel

of God

to all without

distinction.

He says in verse 21

that he testified

both to Jews

and to Greeks

of repentance

toward God

and of faith

in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul preached

the gospel,

the good news

of Jesus Christ

that all who

turn,

repent of their sins

and turn to Jesus

in faith

by believing

in the life

and death

and resurrection

of the Christ

that they might

be saved.

And he preached

this message

to both Jews

in the synagogues

and to the Greeks

in the forum.

An ambassador

does not get

to choose

which country

he travels to

or whom

he speaks to.

He goes

wherever

the president

or the king

sends him to go.

He speaks to

whomever

the king

sends him

to speak to.

Likewise,

Paul,

because he's a servant

of the Lord Jesus,

he does not have

the option

of choosing

his audience,

of discriminating

between Jews

and Gentiles.

And verse 21

is matched

by verse 26.

Therefore,

I testify to you

this day

that I am innocent

of the blood

of all.

Paul believed

that it is

his responsibility

to proclaim

the gospel

because if people

perish without

hearing it,

that he'd have

blood on his hands.

So he faithfully

warned people

and he's now

washing his hands,

figuratively,

washing his hands

clean.

I have warned them.

I have preached

the gospel

to both Jews

and Greeks.

So if you don't

repent and believe

in Jesus,

then the blood

is on your hands,

not mine.

I am innocent

of the blood

of all,

is what Paul

is saying.

The elders

of the church

and all Christians

for the matter

are called

to testify

or bear witness

to the Lord Jesus.

We may not go

only to the groups

of people

that we share

a natural affinity

with,

people who look

like us,

people who

share our interests,

people who have

our social

or economic

standing,

people who share

our political views.

You know,

we must testify

to all peoples

without distinction

because we are

servants of the Lord Jesus.

And Paul continues

to speak of his

servitude to God

in verses 22 to 23.

He says,

And now behold,

I am going to Jerusalem

constrained by the Spirit,

not knowing

what will happen

to me there,

except that the Holy Spirit

testifies to me

in every city

that imprisonment

and afflictions

await me.

This is matched

by verse 25,

which begins

with the exact same phrase,

And now behold,

I know that none

of you among

whom I have gone

about proclaiming

the kingdom

will see my face again.

Paul is headed

to Jerusalem

and therefore

he knows that he

will not see

the Ephesian elders,

Ephesian believers again.

And so he even

acknowledges

that the Holy Spirit

has testified to him

that imprisonment

and afflictions

await him

in Jerusalem.

But then why

is he going

to Jerusalem?

He says he is

constrained

by the Spirit

to go and bear witness

to the people there.

The word constrained

literally means

to be bound

or imprisoned.

The same word

is used later

in Acts 21,

Acts 21:11

verse 11,

when Agabus prophesies

of Paul's impending

imprisonment

in Jerusalem.

It's the same word

that was used

three times

in Acts 9,

to describe

how Paul,

prior to his conversion,

was rounding up

Christians

and binding them

and committing

them to prison.

And so there's

a contrast here

between verse 22

and verse 23.

Why would Paul

travel to Jerusalem

where he knows

he will be imprisoned?

The answer

is that he is

already bound

by the Spirit,

constrained

by the Spirit

of God

to go.

He has no choice

because he is

a servant

of the Lord Jesus.

He is a prisoner

of the Spirit.

But he does it

willingly,

joyfully.

There's no human being

because all human beings

are sinful

who are fit

to be masters,

to own slaves,

but the Lord Jesus

who is perfect

and righteous

and just

and gracious

is a worthy master

that Christians

serve joyfully,

willingly.

Paul was a happy

servant of the Lord.

And so we've seen

three things so far.

One, Paul does not

get to pick

and choose

what he preaches.

He must preach

the whole counsel

of God.

Two, Paul does not

get to choose

whom he preaches to.

He must preach

to all,

to both Jews

and Gentiles.

And three,

Paul does not

get to choose

where he preaches

the gospel.

He must go

where the Spirit

of God constrains

him to go.

This is Paul's

autobiographical sketch.

It's a picture

of a man

who is in total

submission

to God.

Paul's reminding

the Ephesian elders,

it's not about

doing what you want.

Remember how I lived

among you,

not saying

whatever I want

or associating

with whomever I want

or going

wherever I want.

No, but saying

and doing

and going

only where God

would have

me go.

That's what it means

to be an elder.

And all of this

comes to a climax

in verse 24,

which is the center

of this

chiasis structure

that Luke

is intentionally

emphasizing.

but I do not

account my life

of any value

nor as precious

to myself

if only I may

finish my course

in the ministry

that I have received

from the Lord Jesus

to testify

through the gospel

of the grace

of God.

the world

tells us

that we should

prioritize

and protect

our own lives

over everything else

and that makes

perfect sense

from their perspective

because they believe

that this life

is all there is.

But for Christians

who believe

in eternal

resurrection life

after death,

for Christians

who believe

that our ultimate

rewards are in heaven,

there is something

more valuable,

something more

precious

than life itself

and that is

to finish the course,

the race,

to fulfill

our mission

and to testify

to the gospel

of the grace

of God.

That's why Paul

uses this metaphor

of the race

to finish my course.

Years later

at the end

of his life,

Paul writes

in 2 Timothy 4,

7 to 8,

I have fought

the good fight,

I have finished

the race,

I have kept

the faith,

henceforth

there is laid up

for me

the crown

of righteousness

which the Lord,

the righteous judge,

will award me

on that day

and not only

to me

but also to all

who have loved

his appearing.

The crown

of righteousness

is reserved

only for those

who finish

the race.

Salvation

is reserved

for only

those who

persevere

to the end.

Matthew 24,

13.

Eternal glory

is reserved

for those

who endure

the momentary

afflictions

of this life.

2 Corinthians 4,

17.

Professional

athletes

would not endure

the afflictions

of strict diets

and grueling

workouts

day after day,

week after week,

year after year

if they didn't

know that there

is a trophy

or a medal

waiting for them

at the end.

But they do it

for a crown

that perishes.

But we do it

for an eternal crown.

Likewise,

Christians cannot

endure.

We cannot

endure to the end

and believe

that faithfulness

to Christ

is better than life

unless we keep

the end

in sight,

keep eternity

in view.

It's only

in light

of the eternal

rewards

that Christ

has for us

that we can say

along with Paul,

I do not account

my life

of any value

nor as precious

to myself.

That phrase

is quite emphatic.

It's literally

my life

is not worth

a single word.

an average person

speaks,

they say 7,000 words

per day.

A lot of people

considerably more

than that.

That's 2,555,000

words per year.

Expand that

to a lifetime.

That's a lot

of words.

And Paul says,

my life

is not worth

even one word.

Not a one,

it's not a single word.

if only I get

to finish

the course

that my Lord

has entrusted

to me.

Compared

to fulfilling

our God-given

calling

to bear witness

to Jesus,

my life

has no value.

It's not

precious to me.

When there are

many tears

and trials

in your life

as surely

many of you

have,

when you are

paying the price

of following

Jesus,

when serving

the Lord

is full of

pain and suffering,

remind yourself

of this,

my life

is not my own.

Jesus

already

purchased me

with his

own blood.

I am a

slave of Christ,

completely disposed

to the will

of my master.

And Jesus

is more

precious

than my life.

Jesus,

I would

rather die

than give up

serving him.

The long

life

is not

a Christian

aspiration.

The faithful

life

is the Christian

aspiration.

church.

Having

pointed the

elders of

the Ephesian

church to

the example

of how he

conducted himself

among them

as a servant

of the Lord

and his word,

Paul now

exhorts them

directly as

shepherds of

the church

of God.

So Paul's

addressing here

the elders

of the church

in Ephesus

as we saw,

and he says

in verse 28

that they were

appointed

overseers

of the church

by the Holy

Spirit.

And the

overseer

is the

Greek word

from which

we get

the English

word

episcopate

which refers

to bishops.

And then

Paul also

uses a

shepherding

imagery

throughout

verses 28

to 30

exhorting

the elders

to pay

careful

attention

to all

the flock

mourning

them of

fierce wolves

that will

devour

the flock.

So this

shows

that the

three

terms

that the

Bible

uses

elders

overseers

or bishops

shepherds

pastors

they're

actually

all terms

that are

used

interchangeably

to refer

to a

single

office

in the

church

that

of the

office

of elder.

They're

not

separate

offices

in the

church.

An

elder

is an

overseer

is a

pastor

and this

section

wonderfully

captures

what

pastoral

ministry

is all

about.

In

their

book

The

Deliberate

Church

Mark

Dever

and

Paul

Alexander

summarize

the

responsibilities

of a

pastor

with

helpful

alliteration.

He

says

they

guide

they

guard

and

they

graze.

And we

see those

three tasks

here in this

passage.

First he

talks about

guiding or

governing the

flock in

verse 28.

Pay careful

attention to

yourselves and

to all the

flock in

which the

Holy Spirit

has made

you overseers

to care for

the church

of God

which he

obtained with

his own

blood.

pastors

must

not be

negligent

or

complacent

in their

care for

the

flock.

They

must pay

careful

attention

to all

the

flock.

They

must know

the

conditions

of the

flock

who is

starving,

who is

weak,

who is

injured,

who is

hurting,

who is

going

astray,

and they

must care

for the

whole

flock,

not just

a part

of it.

Jews

and

Gentiles,

men

and

women,

rich

and

poor,

old

and

young.

But notice

that the

pastors are

not only

to pay

careful

attention

to the

flock,

they are

also

commanded

to pay

careful

attention

to

themselves.

This is

similar to

Paul's

exhortation

in 1 Timothy

4, 16,

keep a

close watch

on yourself

and on

the teaching.

Persist

in this,

for by so

doing you

will save

both yourself

and your

hearers.

If

pastors

don't pay

careful

attention

to their

own

lives

and their

own

doctrine,

then they

might

mislead

their flock

by their

example

and by

their

teaching,

and that's

dangerous.

So they

must pay

careful

attention

to

themselves

and to

all the

flock.

Ancient

Near Eastern

shepherds

typically led

the sheep

from the

front,

not from

the back.

So the

pastors

of the

church

must lead

by example.

Lest

after

preaching

to

others

they

themselves

should

be

disqualified.

Christian

author

Paul

Tripp

writes

in his

book

Dangerous

Calling,

which is

about

pastoral

ministry,

that what

gives a

ministry

its

motivations,

perseverance,

humility,

joy,

tenderness,

passion,

and grace

is the

devotional

life of

the one

doing

ministry.

pastors

must

pay

careful

attention

to

themselves

and to

all the

flock.

And two

things

convey the

gravity of

pastoral

ministry.

First is

this,

that the

fact that

the pastors

are appointed

by God

himself,

it says

the Holy

Spirit has

made you

overseers.

of course

there is a

process by

which the

local church

recognizes and

appoints

elders,

but it is

ultimately God

who calls up

and raises

elders.

That means

elders are not

their own

boss.

God is

their boss.

So they

better pay

careful attention

to the work

that they do.

The second

thing that

conveys the

gravity of

pastoral

ministry is

the precious

value of

the people

of God.

Pastors are

the care

for the

church

of God

which he

obtained

with his

own

blood.

This is a

reference to

the atoning

work of

Jesus Christ,

his death,

his resurrection.

God the

Father didn't

die on the

cross,

but since

the Son

of God,

the second

person of

the Trinity

did die

on the

cross,

it is not

inaccurate to

say that

God obtained

his church

with his

own blood.

God,

this is

why the

church is

the church

of God.

It is not

my church.

It is not

the pastor's

church,

it is the

church of

God,

because he

paid for

it.

And the

price you

pay for

something

communicates

the value

of that

item.

Think of

the most

valuable

possession

that you

have.

maybe a

car,

computer,

a house.

You

probably

protect it,

maintain it,

and perhaps

even insure

it.

The

church of

God was

purchased

with the

blood of

God's

own

Son.

Jesus,

whose life

has infinite,

inestimable

value.

That means the

Christian brothers

and sisters

sitting to your

left and to your

right,

the sheep of

God's pasture,

sure,

they might be

bruised and

battered,

maybe even

malnourished.

maybe they

don't appear

very valuable

to you.

You might

think they're

not worth

your time

and investment,

but don't

let your

eyes deceive

you.

Remember the

price God

paid for

them.

God gave

his only

Son.

The Lord

Jesus obtained

them with

his own

blood,

and so the

elders must

govern and

guide the

flock of

God with

care.

The second

thing elders

must do is

to guard

the flock.

Paul warns

them in

verses 29

to 31,

I know

that after

my departure

fierce wolves

will come

in among you

and not

sparing the

flock,

and from

among your

own selves

will arise

men speaking

twisted things

to draw away

the disciples

after them.

Therefore

be alert,

remembering

that for

three years

I did not

seize night

or day to

admonish

everyone with

tears.

Some of

these fierce

wolves will

come in

from the

outside,

but others,

Paul says,

will rise up

from among

your own

selves,

from within

the Ephesian

church itself.

A telltale sign

of a wolf is

that he speaks

twisted things.

He doesn't

speak the

straightforward

truth of

God's word.

Instead,

he speaks

twisted things

in order to

draw away

the disciples

after them.

Their ultimate

goal is

division and

schism.

They're

interested in

making disciples

who follow

after them.

This is a

sobering reality

and I think

Paul speaks

so confidently

and definitively

in verse 29.

I know,

he says,

I know that

after my

departure,

fierce wolves

have come.

I think he

could say that

because he

knows that

wherever there

are sheep,

there will

be wolves.

and it's

for this

reason that

pastors must

be alert.

But it's

important to

note that

there is a

difference

between sheep

that disagree

with the

shepherd and

an actual

divisive wolf.

Being watchful

of wolves

and being

cynical and

suspicious of

sheep are

not the same

thing.

And it

requires

humility and

discernment to

tell them

apart.

So the

pastors are

to guide and

guard and

thirdly,

they are to

graze the

flock in the

green pastures

of God's

word.

It says in

verse 32,

and now I

commend you to

God and to

the word of

his grace,

which is able

to build you

up and to

give you the

inheritance among

all those who

are sanctified.

The word of

his grace is

the same thing

as the gospel

of the grace

of God that

Paul mentioned

earlier in

verse 24.

So yes,

pastors are

supposed to

preach the

whole counsel

of God,

but because

all of

scripture points

to Jesus and

is fulfilled by

Jesus, the

work of

preaching always

involves commending

people to God

and to the

word of his

grace.

That sinners

deserving of the

just wrath and

punishment of

God may be

forgiven and

reconciled to

God through

the death and

resurrection of

Jesus.

That salvation

is not something

that we earn

through our

hard work or

good work,

but that it

is a gift from

God to be

received through

faith.

That is the

gospel, the

good news of

the grace of

God.

And that's the

news that builds

up the saints and

it is by

persevering in our

faith in that

gospel that we

receive our

heavenly inheritance.

And then Paul

returns again to

his personal

example in

verses 33 to

35.

He says,

I coveted no

one's silver or

gold or apparel.

You yourselves

know that these

hands ministered to

my necessities and

to those who were

with me.

In all things I

have shown you that

by working hard in

this way we must

help the weak and

remember the words

of the Lord Jesus.

How he himself

said, it is more

blessed to give

than to receive.

In the Roman

Empire there were

various kinds of

philosophers,

itinerant philosophers

that traveled and

spoke in various

places and they

gained fans and

followers.

And these itinerant

teachers had four

different means by

which they supported

themselves.

The first was to

rely on a wealthy

patron or patroness

who would host these

luxurious dinners

where they would be

the honored guests

giving lectures.

The second was to

charge fees for

their speaking and

their teaching

services.

And third was to

rely on public

charity by begging,

by asking for

donations.

And the fourth,

and by far the

most despised way

among the Greeks,

was to work as

manual laborers.

Because these itinerant

philosophers viewed

that as beneath their

social standing.

And the great

apostle Paul refused

compensation for his

ministry, worked with

his own hands as a

tent maker so that he

might provide for

those who have need.

He says, with these

hands, it seems like

as Paul speaking, he's

lifting up his hands,

showing his hands to

people saying, with

these hands I provided

for myself.

Probably callous from

all that tent making.

This is not because

Paul doesn't think that

elders should be

provided for by their

churches.

He does say in 1

Timothy 5, 17 and 18,

that elders who rule

well and labor in

preaching and teaching

deserve their wages.

However, Paul himself

decided to forego this

right, and he did

manual labor in order to

provide for himself as

well as for his fellow

missionary companions.

And Paul did this, he

says, in order to help

the weak and remember

the words of the Lord

Jesus, how he himself

said it is more blessed

to give than to receive.

The weak is likely a

reference to people who

were in one way or

another incapacitated or

limited, therefore unable

to provide for

themselves.

As Christians, we don't

hold a job and work

merely to provide for

ourselves and for our

families.

We also work to give

generously to those in

need.

Ephesians 4, 28 says,

let the thief no longer

steal, but rather let him

labor, doing honest work

with his own hands, so that

he may have something to

share with anyone in need.

This is the example that

Paul set for the Ephesian

elders, and he confirms it

with Jesus' teaching, it is

more blessed to give than to

receive.

I was just talking to, I

think it was Jen mentioned,

Gary told her about this

Instagram handle called

pastors and sneakers.

You guys know about that?

Preachers, sorry.

Pastors and preachers.

Or, no, preachers and

sneakers.

Sorry, I guess that rhymes

better.

Apparently, the guy who

has the handle just came

out with the book.

He's kind of, he's

criticizing the way

consumerism has taken over

some parts of church and

clergy and how the church

culture is following the

world's celebrity culture.

$5,000 sneakers.

I didn't even know such

things existed.

I didn't know such things.

The pastoral ministry is not

a platform for self-promotion.

How many poor widows gave for

that?

The church offerings are not a

means for personal enrichment.

Church members are not a

platform for pastoral

celebrity and self-promotion.

Pastors must remember that

they are called to feed the

sheep, not feed on the sheep.

And that it is more blessed to

give than to receive.

This is really the attitude that

befits every Christian.

Think more of what you can

give to the church than get from

the church.

Think more of how you can serve

others than to be served.

It is human to give in return for

something else.

It is Christian to give without

expecting anything in return.

Because we know that God will

ultimately repay us.

That's the appropriate Christian

attitude because Jesus came to be,

not to be served, but to serve and

to give his life as a ransom for

many.

Pastoral ministry is ultimately

patterned after the ministry of the

good shepherd, our Lord Jesus.

Jesus said in John 10, 11 to 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 does not own 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 cares nothing for the sheep.

I am the good shepherd.

I know my own and my own know me.

Just as the Father knows me and I