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Well, please turn with me in 
your Bibles to Acts chapter 20, as we continue to move our way 
through this book, the Acts of the Apostles. We find ourselves 
in the city of Miletus, the apostle Paul not wanting to spend an 
extended amount of time in Ephesus. So while in Miletus, according 
to verse 16 and 17, he calls for the elders of the church 
of Ephesus and they come to him and he gives them this exhortation. And so I want to read beginning 
in chapter 20 at verse 17. From Miletus he sent to Ephesus 
and called for the elders of the church. And when they had 
come to him, he said to them, You know from the first day that 
I came to Asia in what manner I always lived among you, serving 
the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened 
to me by the plotting of the Jews. how I kept back nothing 
that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you and taught you publicly 
and from house to house, testifying to Jews and also to Greeks, repentance 
toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And see, now 
I go bound in the Spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will 
happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in 
every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But 
none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to 
myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry 
which I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel 
of the grace of God. And indeed, now I know that you 
all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see 
my face no more. Therefore, I testify to you this 
day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for I have 
not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. Therefore, 
take heed to yourselves and to 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. For I know this, that 
after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing 
the flock. Also from among yourselves men 
will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples 
after themselves. Therefore watch and remember 
that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone, night 
and day, with tears. So now, brethren, I commend you 
to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build 
you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 
I have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you 
yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities 
and for those who are with me. I have shown you in every way, 
by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember 
the words of the Lord Jesus, that He 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. Then they all wept 
freely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most 
of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his 
face no more. And they accompanied him to the 
ship. Amen. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your written Word. We thank You for the blessing 
that it's God-breathed, given by inspiration of the Spirit, 
and that it's profitable to us for doctrine, for reproof, for 
correction, and for instruction in righteousness. I pray that 
You would give us ears to hear, and hearts to receive the truth, 
and that by the power of the Spirit who illumines our minds. 
We ask that You would forgive us and cleanse us from all sin 
and unrighteousness. We ask that You would help us, 
God, to understand these things, help us to be affected in such 
a way that we pray, we pray for ministers, we pray for the gospel 
to go forth, we pray for the reality that God is in Christ, 
reconciling the world to Himself, and that the means of preaching 
is blessed of God for the salvation of sinners by the power of the 
Holy Spirit, and based on that finished work of our Lord Jesus, 
when He lived, and when He died, and when He was raised again 
the third day, that blessed truth we call the gospel. We ask that 
that word would go forth even now, running swiftly and being 
glorified, and that many, many people throughout this earth 
would come to know Christ as Lord and Savior. And God, do 
that for Your glory in our meeting here this morning. We pray for 
those who are still in their sin. We ask that You would do 
that work which is impossible with men, that You would convict 
them, that You would show them their need for Christ. And may 
they hear Christ, that one who is altogether lovely, and that 
one who is chief among 10,000. Bless this time, we pray, and 
be glorified, we pray, and we ask through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. Well, as I said, this is the 
first pastors' conference in a new covenant setting, and the 
Apostle Paul is rehearsing various things that will be most fitting 
for this group of elders in Ephesus. And basically what we have from 
verses 17 to the end of the chapter We have the identification of 
the audience. We looked at that last week. The elders are also 
identified as overseers and they pastor. So those three terms 
are used synonymously to refer to the one office covered in 
1 Timothy 3, 1-7, which has as its primary focus teaching and 
ruling within the context of the church. And then in the second 
place, we saw last week as well, the review of Paul's ministry 
in verses 18 to 27. Remember, he's not boasting, 
he's not full of pride and vainglory, but rather he is simply pointing 
to his example so that these men would see that, and these 
men would resonate with that, and these men would follow that 
as well. Now, this morning we're going to take up the third section, 
the exhortation to the elders specifically, verses 28 to 31, 
and then the Lord willing, next week we'll finish the section 
with that final admonition to the elders in verses 32 to 38. 
So, this morning I want to look at the exhortation to the Ephesian 
elders, verses 28 to 31, under three considerations. First, 
the responsibility of the elders in verse 28. Second, the reasons 
given to the elders in verses 29 and 30, and then finally the 
reminder provided to the elders in verse 31. We'll spend the 
bulk of our time in verse 28. There's a great deal of not only 
practical exhortation in terms of the way pastors should conduct 
themselves, but there's also a good bit of Christology or 
the doctrine of Jesus Christ our Lord. So let's look first 
at the command stated. Notice what Paul says in verse 
28, therefore. So he's given this review of 
his own personal life and ministry, and now he becomes real practical 
with these particular elders. He says, therefore. He connects 
with what he has said to what he is now going to say in terms 
of what he wants with reference to these pastors who function 
in this church in Ephesus. And not just to them, but because 
this is the inscripturated word, it appeals to every elder who's 
ever served. And this is the marching orders, 
as it were, for gospel ministers. This is a passage they should 
meditate upon, a passage they should be very familiar with, 
and a passage, by God's grace, they should seek to exemplify 
in their own ministry. So he gives this command. take 
heed to yourselves and to all the flock." Essentially what 
he means with reference to this word is to be in a state of alert, 
to be concerned about, to care for, and to take care. That's 
the definition of this idea of take heed. I think the connection 
is obvious. It goes with what has preceded. 
Notice that Paul says in verse 26 that he is clean from the 
blood of all men. In other words, he is not responsible. 
Why? Because according to verse 27, 
he has not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God. And 
so the connection is fitting and appropriate. If you want 
to conduct yourself in a ministry that at the end of your life, 
you don't have blood guiltiness for the souls that were under 
your charge, you need to take heed. You need to watch. You 
need to be alert. You need to be on guard. You 
need to be functioning in the manner that Jesus Christ has 
called you to function in. Notice the specific object in 
view. He says, take heed to yourselves 
and to all the flock. Notice that emphasis. It's not 
just to all the flock. If the man doesn't take heed 
to himself, then he will be no good to take heed with reference 
to the flock. And this is a pattern or an example 
that we see in other places in the scripture. In Genesis 4, 
remember when Cain and Abel bring their sacrifices to the Lord, 
it says in verse 4 that God respected Abel and his sacrifice. It wasn't 
just the sacrifice, but it was Abel and the sacrifice. It was 
the man and it was what he was presenting. And in 1 Timothy 
4.16, the apostle Paul there tells Timothy, take heed to yourself 
and to all the doctrine. Again, the idea is clear. If 
a man is not taking heed to himself, he is not going to be fit to 
take heed to anybody else. If he can't control his own passions, 
if he can't control his own life, if he can't engage in the virtue 
that God has called him to, then he's certainly no guide, no help, 
no example, or no exhorter to those under his care. And with 
reference to this, take heed to yourselves and to all the 
flock. With reference to the elder taking 
heed to himself, it is his character. It is those things listed in 
1 Timothy 3, 1 to 7. It is that emphasis on virtue. 
It is that emphasis on Christian virtue. It is that emphasis, 
not on perfection, because then no man could ever serve as an 
elder or as a pastor. but by God's grace and according 
to the power of the Spirit, and with a willing and obedient mind 
to the Holy Scriptures, he is seeking to conduct himself in 
a manner that is consistent with his calling, not only as a minister, 
but as a Christian. In other words, Christian ministers 
are Christians in the first place, and they need to function as 
such. They need to be men of integrity, men of fidelity, and 
men who obey, as far as they're able, the commands of God Almighty. Certainly, as I said, they will 
sin. They are still under Romans 7 and Galatians 5. There is still 
remaining corruption. If you are looking for perfect 
ministers, you will never find one. It has been said that if 
you're looking for the perfect church, you will never find one. 
As soon as you go, you will make it less than perfect. But there 
is no such thing as a perfect minister. We might have assumed 
that God would use angels, those holy, wonderful beings, to go 
and preach the everlasting gospel, but he doesn't. I think we saw 
that last week, 2 Corinthians chapter 4. God puts gospel treasure 
in cracked pots so that when good things actually happen, 
the power and the glory is given to God and not the cracked pots. In other words, you can't say, 
wow, it's owing to that minister that I'm going to heaven. No, 
it's owing to the God of heaven and earth. It's owing to the 
grace of God in and through our Lord Jesus Christ. And to blow 
our minds even further, he uses weird, defective men to bring 
that truth so that we can receive that message, believe it, and 
be saved. So the minister takes heed to 
himself, his character, in accordance with 1 Timothy 3, 1-7. But he 
also takes heed to his doctrine, 1 Timothy 3, 2. The list specifically 
highlights the various virtues, the various aspects of Christian 
conduct that a minister must imbibe. But there is one gift 
or one necessity that this man must hold to. He must be able 
to teach. And so the minister not only 
looks after himself, but he looks after the doctrine. He looks 
after the Word of God. He knows the truth. He's not 
a charlatan. He's not somebody that relaxes 
when it comes to the truth of Holy Scripture, but he himself 
knows it, and he himself is able to preach it and teach it to 
others as well. So take heed to yourselves, the 
Apostle Paul says, and to all the flock. Why all the flock? Because that's the job, that's 
the function, that's the role. And the way that the minister 
does that, again, is through the proclamation of the truth. 
It is through teaching, it is through preaching, it is through 
praying as well. Remember that incident in Acts 
chapter 6, when they had that sort of dispute amongst the Hellenists 
and the Hebrew widows over the daily distribution of the food. 
The apostles said, we need to appoint men to look over this 
because it's distracting to us. Not because it's not a noble 
calling to feed widows. That's certainly a wonderful 
and a noble calling. But the apostles were supposed 
to be given to prayer and the ministry of the word. And that 
is the reason why those first deacons were selected, so that 
the apostles could give themselves to prayer and to the ministry 
of the word. Again, brethren, I think that's 
the sum and substance of gospel ministry. A lot of what ministers 
do have nothing to do with the calling. And a lot of the things 
that they neglect are specifically what they're called to do. In 
other words, pray and preach. Certainly visit. We go not only 
public ministry, but also from house to house. But the primary 
emphasis in gospel ministry is to proclaim the truth. There's 
a wonderful little book called, Why Johnny Can't Preach. And 
in that particular book, this fellow gives an illustration 
of a man who went to be interviewed by a church with reference to 
becoming their pastor. And the interviewers, the persons 
that were giving this man the questions and sort of the outline 
of what was involved in their church, they basically gave this 
man a list of responsibilities and duties. And the guy, the 
ministerial candidate, sort of did the math in his head. And 
he said, that'll take about 80 hours per week. And they say, 
yeah, that's right. And he said, but none of it had 
to do with preaching. None of it had to do with praying. 
Ministers are not supposed to be the guy that neglects the 
primary calling to do all the other stuff that persons in churches 
think should be done. The job is simple, pray and preach. And this is what Paul's point 
is, therefore, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock." The elder 
must take care of the entirety of the flock, specifically for 
their spiritual health and for their growth and grace. Now, 
we make it a pattern and a practice and a habit to try and pray for 
people's physical problems, the various afflictions that face 
people, the various afflictions that face people in their earthly 
lives. But brethren, when push comes 
to shove, the gospel ministry is charged with overseeing relative 
to the spiritual state of the people of God. And that's what 
Paul says. Therefore take heed to yourselves 
and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you 
overseers. The primary means of doing so 
is to preach Paul's doctrine. Notice how he summarizes that 
in verse 21 in his review of life and ministry, testifying 
to Jews and also to Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our 
Lord Jesus Christ. That's the primary means, the 
way in which ministers take heed to all the flock. It is to preach 
to them that which is helpful, that which is essential, that 
which is crucial and necessary, And then to follow Paul's example 
where he was able to say in verses 26 and 27, Therefore I testify 
to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men, for 
I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 
That's what ministers should be doing. That's what they should 
be pursuing. Remember last week I had mentioned, 
what about the man that doesn't do that, or the traitorous or 
treacherous man that does the opposite and preaches woke values 
to the professing people of God? He is guilty of their blood. 
He will be requited on that day of judgment. Remember those watchman 
passages from Ezekiel 3 and Ezekiel 33, where God Almighty says to 
Ezekiel, that if you don't warn them, then I will require their 
blood at your hands. But if you warn them, and you 
tell them the truth, and then they die in their sins, I will 
not require their blood at your hands. That is a sobering charge, 
a very terrifying charge. I would imagine when you went 
to get whatever job you currently have, they didn't lay that on 
you. They didn't say, if you plumb in such a way that somebody's 
toilet overflows, then I will require blood at the hands of 
that person. That is a very serious thing, 
and I think that's why James, in James 3.1, says, let not many 
of us become teachers. Why? We will incur a stricter 
judgment. There is a reality appended to 
gospel ministry that doesn't obtain in other places in life. And so Paul the Apostle, being 
the example, if a man is going to take heed to the flock, then 
he is going to preach Paul's doctrine, and he is going to 
follow Paul's pattern. And then notice, the particular 
reason for this command comes at the end of that first section. 
Again, those three terms are synonymous for the one office 
in the Church that has as its primary function teaching and 
government. They are elders who are overseers 
who pastor the people of God. This word overseer means one 
who has the responsibility of safeguarding or seeing to it 
that something is done in the correct way. A guardian. And 
then the term was taken over in Christian communities in reference 
to one who served as overseer or supervisor with special interest 
in guarding the apostolic tradition. guarding the apostolic tradition. That's the function of the eldership. Now certainly elders have many 
functions within the context of the church, but this one is 
crucial. This is absolutely necessary. This is absolutely required. And if elders renege on this, 
they're not doing their job. They will ultimately be guilty 
of the blood of those who didn't hear or heard wrongly and end 
up in hell. Again, a very sober and a weighty 
concern. And then notice, the Holy Spirit 
makes them overseers. Go back to Acts 14 and verse 
23. Acts 14 and verse 23. It's at the end of that first 
missionary journey, we're considering the third, but at the end of 
that first missionary journey, notice what happens when they 
revisit the churches. 1423, so when they had appointed 
elders in every church and prayed with fasting, they commended 
them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Well, so what was 
it? Did the apostles appoint them or did the Holy Spirit appoint 
them? The Holy Spirit through the ministry of the apostles. 
The Holy Spirit through the written word of the living God. The Holy 
Spirit through the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's not 
a distant spectator. The Spirit is present among us. And in the midst of God's blood-bought 
people, what we have is the Spirit putting men into gospel ministry 
that should be there. So this is the task, oversight 
of the flock, and then notice it's the Spirit who puts them 
in that position, but also something before we move on from this point. 
Notice, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. 
Not over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Now, 
functionally, in terms of office, in terms of responsibility, ministers 
could be said to be over, in that they govern by the Word 
of God Almighty. But they're not some separate 
class of polished specimens of human beings. The right reverend, 
doctor, sir. That's not what's in view here. 
God saves sinners. God brings those sinners together. 
And within the context of those saved sinners, God qualifies 
certain men to function. So it's from among them. In other 
words, we don't always look outside of us to bring in ministers. 
We seek, by the grace of God, to raise them up in our midst, 
to identify men who are faithful, men who understand Scripture, 
men who know theology, men who are qualified according to 1 
Timothy 3 and Titus 1, and then the church lays hands on them, 
thanks the Lord God Most High, specifically the Spirit of God, 
who gave us those ministers, and then we listen to them and 
we trust them insofar as they are teaching God's Word. That's 
absolutely crucial, insofar as they are teaching God's Word. 
It's never ceased to amaze me. There have been times in the 
history of the ministry where persons ask for advice. And if 
it's outside of Scripture, I think any minister worth his weight 
will say, this is my advice. I'm going to tell you, you ask 
me the simple question, I'm going to give you the simple answer. 
You're not beholden to that. You're not duty-bound. The minister 
has spoken. No, when the minister correctly 
exegetes the Word of God and interprets it properly and shows 
you that from context and through, you know, exegetical rules that 
obtain, that you need to pay attention to. But if you ask 
a minister, should I get the white car or the black car? Well, 
my personal preference is the white one. And then you get the 
white one and then you curse the day the minister was born 
because the white really shows up dirt a lot. Brethren, it's 
advice. You don't have to take advice. 
Advice is something that you listen to and you evaluate, and 
if it's valuable and it's data that you assume, go ahead. But 
it's the Word of God that is absolutely crucial. It is the 
truth of Scripture that is crucial. That's why when we examine men 
for gospel ministry, we do so with the Bible and with theology, 
our document, our Second London Confession. Pastor Cam and I, 
that time, with reference to Mike Kirkpatrick, we invite people. And what did we do? What's your 
advice concerning white cars or black cars? No, give us a 
timeline of the history of Israel. Tell us about redemption by Jesus 
Christ. Explain the Ordo Salutis. Why 
does our confession describe God as being without passions? 
It's that kind of stuff in which ministers, guided by the Holy 
Spirit, speak authoritatively in the church. It's not the irrelevant 
sorts of things, or could be even relevant sorts of things, 
but we may have differing opinions. That's okay, but we can't have 
differing opinions on the Trinity. We can't have differing opinions 
on the doctrine of justification by faith. We have to all toe 
the line when it comes to Bible and good theology. And then notice, 
specifically the duty involved. Think about this for a moment. 
Prior to conversion, people are compared to sheep. Isaiah 53, verse 6, all we like 
sheep have gone astray. Sheep isn't there or aren't there 
as some noble creature. I mean, that's kind of a pejorative 
use. We get converted and we are referred 
to as sheep still. And we are the flock of God Almighty. Jesus says in John 10, 11, the 
good shepherd gave his life for the sheep that they may have 
life in that abundantly. And so this imagery is used and 
utilized, and it's most fitting, and it's most appropriate. So 
the people of God are the flock of God, and this was the prophesied 
end relative to gospel ministry. Our brother Steve at the outset 
of worship read, Jeremiah 23, 4, I will set up shepherds over 
them who will feed them, and they shall fear no more, nor 
be dismayed, nor shall they be lacking. That's the hub, the 
essence, the kernel of what it means to shepherd. It means to 
feed. That's what's in view. Feed what? Feed the Bible, feed 
good theology, feed the Word of God. This is why it's not 
just incumbent upon ministers to feed, it's incumbent upon 
flocks to eat. If you cannot be physically present, 
then tune in! If you can't be physically present 
or tune in, then catch up! Brethren, it is absolutely crucial 
that the people of God be fed the Word of God for their growth 
in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus, and for their conformity 
unto that beloved Son. It is absolutely, positively 
crucial. I have never met a Christian 
that was solid and mature and thriving and growing that wasn't 
feeding on the Word of God. Just like you don't typically 
meet people that are physically healthy and vibrant and full 
of life and energy that have a terrible diet. I'm not trying 
to sound crass, but there is an obvious connection or metaphor 
or analogy. What we take in physically affects 
the way that we live physically. You are what you eat. You've 
heard that old adage. Well, the same is true with reference 
to Christianity. You eat garbage. You eat surface-level 
theology. You eat the kind of stuff that 
is being promulgated in many pulpits right now. You're gonna 
be weak and anemic you need the truth of God's Holy Word that 
that is as clear as can Possibly be so to shepherd the Church 
of God Shepherd by feeding them again the prophesied intention 
of God for pastoral ministry earlier in the prophet Jeremiah 
at chapter 3 verse 15 and I will give you shepherds according 
to my heart who will feed you with knowledge and Understanding 
and then this emphasis in the New Testament look at Acts 21. 
I'm sorry John 21 John chapter 21, specifically at verse 15. You've 
probably heard the... The treatment of this passage 
where Jesus is using the word love in one sense, and Peter's 
using it in another sense, and the different Greek words that 
are being used, that's not a good interpretation. The word love 
here means love. Whether it's agape or phileo, 
it doesn't matter. It means love. That's not the 
point of this passage, and that's not why I'm turning us here. 
But look at 2115. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said 
to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than 
these? There's some question of interpretation there. More 
than these? More than what? The fish that they just caught? 
Simon Peter, you love me more than this good breakfast? Do 
you love me more than these, these fellow disciples? I think 
that's probably closer to the point. Do you love me preeminently, 
Simon Peter? Am I your altogether lovely and 
chief among 10,000? So he says, Simon, son of Jonah, 
do you love me more than these? He said to him, yes, Lord, you 
know that I love you. He said to him, feed my lambs. 
See, that's the point, Peter. This is what you've been saved 
to do. This is why I have called you out of darkness into marvelous 
light. That's why I have called you to function as an apostle. 
It is to feed my lambs. He said to him again a second 
time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, 
yes, Lord, you know that I love you. He said to him, tend my 
sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, 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, 
feed my sheep. Peter's love for the Lord is 
to be made manifest in his care for the Lord's flock. In other 
words, it's not just the rah-rah guru that peps the people of 
God up from Sunday to Sunday. It is the man who labors in the 
Word and Doctrine to take the food of God to present it to 
the sheep of God so that they can digest it and be nourished 
and be stronger for it. That's the function with reference 
to elder slash overseers who function as pastors within the 
context of the church. Again, there's a whole chapter 
in 1 Timothy 3, and much of a chapter in Titus 1, and then in 1 Peter 
5, owing to this particular ministry in the context of the church 
of the Lord Jesus. And I want to say something to 
you this morning. If you're not a believer in Christ and you 
live in this town or you've been exposed to theology in this town, 
you might have this zany idea that God's not really about saving 
sinners. Can I just tell you God really 
is about saving sinners? God so loved the world that he 
gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish but have everlasting life. Paul the Apostle tells 
us the glory of the gospel, it's not that men accept Jesus into 
their heart. The glory of the gospel is that 
God is in Christ, reconciling the world to himself. Well, take 
this as further evidence or further proof. God has selected, out 
of his church, a class of men that are tasked with preaching 
the gospel. Why? Because God doesn't want 
to save sinners? Absolutely not. They preach the 
gospel because God does want to save sinners. For since, in 
the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, 
it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save 
those who believe." That's 1 Corinthians 1.21. Romans 10.17, faith comes 
by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Strange process 
for a God who's not in the business of saving sinners. You'd actually 
call out a class of men, qualify those men, give them the gift 
of the Spirit in such a way that they can accurately exegete the 
Word and preach that Word, only to not save sinners? That's absolute 
folly! So if you've been affected by 
that theology, know and listen that God is about saving sinners. Even, can I say it? Sinners like 
you. Because I know that because He 
saved a sinner like me. And I know some of you that have 
been saved, and I can say, He saved sinners like you too! God's 
gracious! He's benevolent! He's full of 
love and mercy! He's about this! Look to me and 
be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there 
is no other. What's Jesus say? Come to me, 
none of you! No, come to me, all you who labor 
and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Or at that last 
great day of the feast in John chapter 7, what's Jesus saying? 
If any man thirsts, let him come and drink. What's the Apostle 
Paul say in 1 Timothy 1.15? This is a trustworthy saying. It's worthy of all acceptation 
that Christ Jesus came into this world, sinners to save, and then 
he says, of whom I am chief. So if you've been exposed to 
what's called hyper-Calvinism or some defective theology wherein 
they teach that God really doesn't want to save sinners, look at 
the father of the prodigal. Look at the father of the prodigal 
who sees that son. That son's stinking of pig, by 
the way. That son who had squandered his 
share of the inheritance. That son who had engaged in profligate 
living. That son, when he's a long way 
off, what's the father do? Just stay out there. I don't 
want anything to do with you. You betrayed me. You gypped me. You have twisted things in my 
family relations." That's not what he does. He runs to that 
boy. He falls on that boy. He kisses 
that boy. He puts a ring on that boy's 
finger, and he orders the slaying of the fatted calf. God rejoices 
in saving sinners. That's the point in Luke 15. 
So if you have that concept, get it out of your head. Christ 
is a real Savior for real sinners, and Christ has instituted a class 
of men in the context of the church that will preach the Word 
of the living God such that God saves, to the uttermost, all 
who draw nigh unto Him through Jesus Christ His Son. So we've 
got the command, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. 
We have the specific duty, shepherd the church of God. Look at the 
end portion in verse 28. This is the dignity highlighted. 
In other words, you have this responsibility because of the 
dignity of the people you're ministering unto. Look at what 
Paul says at the end of verse 28, to shepherd the church of 
God, which is the preferred reading here. Some translations or even 
the margin might contain, to shepherd the church of the Lord. 
There's reasons why persons would prefer that reading. There's 
actually manuscript evidence to suggest it, but I would argue 
that it's shepherd the church of God, and then notice, which 
he purchased with his own blood. If I asked you to guard something 
and it was something cheap, you probably wouldn't put a whole 
lot of effort into it. Hey, can you make sure my garden 
hose doesn't go missing while I'm away? Sure, OK. I mean, if 
the garden hose goes missing, no one's really going to be put 
out. I mean, it is kind of a betrayal, but don't let my garden hose 
get caught. But if I said, you know, I'm 
going to be away and I'm going to entrust you this great diamond, I'm going 
to entrust you this very valuable and precious stone, you would 
have a lot more impetus to treat it with respect and to treat 
it with care. Well, when it comes to the minister 
of the gospel, he is to shepherd the church of God, which he has 
purchased with his own blood. In other words, the blood-bought 
children of God are the flock. And as a result of that dignity, 
as a result of that high purchase price, the ministers of Christ 
cannot approach this task with the frivolity and with the shallowness 
and the surface levelness that so often is manifested in gospel 
ministry. In other words, you're dealing 
with the care of souls whom Jesus bled and died for. As a result 
of that, you better take these things very seriously. So the 
emphasis, the church is not man's creation, but it's Christ's possession. The church's worth and dignity 
is seen in the purchase price for her. And this is a great 
bit of theology in terms of the redeeming work of Jesus. How 
do we go to heaven? How are we conveyed or brought 
in to be the flock of God? It's not our works. It's not 
our righteousness. It's not our merit. It's not 
the good that we do. We didn't all wake up sometime 
back in the past and say, hey, we ought to start a church together 
and we ought to be together and worship God. We're only here 
because of the blood of Jesus Christ, his son. We're here because 
we're purchased. We're here because He lived for 
us, He died for us, and He was raised again for us. This is 
the foundation with reference to the assembling of the saints 
of God together. It is that we are the blood-bought 
children of Jesus Christ the Lord. Now, how does the Bible 
say what the Bible says here when it says, shepherd the church 
of God, which He purchased with His own blood? How does God have 
blood? Well, it's an obvious reference 
to the Lord Jesus Christ according to his humanity. And what the 
scripture does is it takes things spoken of the natures of Christ 
and applies it to the person of Christ. It's a theological 
bit of, it's a bit of theology called the communication of idioms 
or the communication of properties. I don't want to bore anybody, 
and I won't extend this very long, but this is theology that 
helps us to protect both the doctrine of Christ and the Trinity. And if we're sloppy here, which 
so many are very sloppy here, we can end up in heresy or in 
some kind of big problems. There was something in the early 
church called Patropasianism, which taught that the Father 
died for sinners. He didn't. It's the Son of God, 
according to His humanity, who gave Himself for us. who delivered 
himself for us. So again, how does the Bible 
use this language, shepherd the church of God, which he purchased 
with his own blood? God is spirit. He doesn't have 
a body like men. God doesn't have hair. He doesn't 
wear shoes. He doesn't have a watch. He doesn't 
have shirts. He doesn't have blood. So how 
does scripture do this? It is through this technique 
or this strategy of the communication of idioms. Our confession describes 
it this way, Christ in the work of mediation acts according to 
both natures. By each nature, so he acts according 
to both natures. So in scripture, Jesus hungers, 
Jesus thirsts, Jesus sorrows, Jesus bleeds, Jesus dies. That's according to his humanity. But as well, Jesus has power 
on earth to forgive sins. That's acting according to his 
divinity. So this is a strategy deployed 
to protect that beautiful doctrine of what we call the hypostatic 
union. One person of Christ, two natures. So back to the confession. Christ in the work of mediation 
acts according to both natures, by each nature doing that which 
is proper to itself. Yet by reason of the unity of 
the person, that which is proper to one nature is sometimes in 
Scripture attributed to the person denominated by the other nature. 
And the two proof texts in our confession is Acts 20, 28 and 
John 3, 13. When Jesus says, the Son of Man 
is in heaven. Well, when Jesus is on earth, 
he's obviously not in heaven according to his humanity, but 
according to his divinity, he is. So you have the one person, 
two natures. Matthew Poole, a Puritan commentator, 
gets at it this way. He says, the blood of Christ, 
called truly the blood of God, there being in Christ two natures 
in one person and a communion of the properties of each nature. 
It takes place at the level of the natures. It doesn't take 
place with reference to the nature of the person, nature of the 
person. It cannot be said of the natures. It cannot be said 
that Jesus, according to his humanity, is everywhere present. That's not consistent theology. That's Roman Catholicism and 
somewhat Lutheranism, and that's why their supper is wrong. Brethren, this is a most important 
point. If you're not getting it, you 
can call me, text me, email me, send a carrier pigeon with a 
note, and I will try to explain this in more detail to you. Because 
if you mess up with Christ, John 8, 24 tells us, you mess up everything. Jesus says, if you do not believe 
that I am, you will die in your sins. You and I can be wrong 
in some areas of theology. We shouldn't. We should really 
work hard to not be. But in eschatology, we probably 
have a divergence of opinions and here in terms of what happens 
in the end times. Well, you can have defective 
views of eschatology and by God's grace and through the blood of 
Jesus still end up in heaven. But you can't mess up on Jesus. 
That's why we spend some time and why tonight we're going to 
spend some time in 1 Samuel 15 to deal with theology proper 
or the doctrine of God. This is the sum and substance 
of our religion. Isn't this how Jesus defined 
or described the essence of eternal life? This is eternal life, that 
they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom 
Thou hast sent. The church is drowning. in practical 
advice and practical points and practical helps without knowing 
who God is, without knowing the person and work of the Lord Jesus 
Christ or the person and work of the Holy Spirit. That's unconscionable 
and we cannot do it. And it's at this point that our 
confession says, again concerning Christ, so that two whole, perfect, 
and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person 
without conversion, composition, or confusion, which person is 
very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between 
God and man. So this thing, this doctrine, 
the communication of idioms or properties, tells us or shows 
us and defines for us how Scripture can speak of the blood of God. How we can sing in our hymn books 
about the suffering of God. How we can sing different songs 
about the immortal dying. Brethren, again, it's this communication 
of idioms or properties that helps us to understand and not 
botch up who Jesus is. Now that's the exhortation or 
rather the specific responsibility of the elders. Let's look secondly 
at the reason given. In other words, why do these 
elders need to take heed to themselves and to all the flock among which 
the Holy Spirit has made them overseers? He outlines this for 
us in 29 and 30. The first place, there is an external threat to 
the flock. There is an external threat to 
the flock. Notice what he says in verse 
29. And even before we get here, it's a sad situation where people 
want to hurt people because of their faith in Jesus. It's still 
something that, you know, without the Bible, you could never make 
heads or tails out of it. Like, why would Fulani herdsmen 
want to exterminate Christians in their region? Like, why does 
the Communist Party in China want to bring such oppression 
down upon the heads of the people of God in China? Like, what is 
their violation? Wow, they sing, they pray, they 
talk about God. A horror of horrors. I mean, 
that's terrible. I mean, the way you treat them, it sounds 
like they're all bank robbers and axe murderers and meth makers 
and sellers and just a horrific lot. Why is that? Well, Jesus 
says it very clearly. If they hate me, they're going 
to hate you. John 15. Jesus also says in John 3, the darkness 
hates the light. Darkness doesn't want to come to the light lest 
its evil deeds are exposed. And Jonathan Edwards, I think, 
said it very well as well. Men can't get to God to throw 
him off his throne and kill him, so they'll kill his representatives 
here on earth. So just understand that. And 
if you fail to reckon with the reality of an external threat, 
then you ought to come to our prayer meeting sometime, because 
we read Voice of the Martyrs, and we read about all over the 
earth, nation after nation after nation after nation, where there's 
terrible and horrific persecution against the people of God. There's 
a book written in the 20th century called By Their Blood, and the 
argument of that book is there was more Christian bloodshed 
in the 20th century than all the previous centuries before, 
in terms of the animosity of the enemies of Jesus targeting 
the people of God himself. And so with reference to the 
responsibility of pastors to take heed to the flock and to 
take heed to themselves and all the flock among which the Holy 
Spirit has made them overseers, in the first place, there is 
this external threat. Notice in verse 29, For I know 
this, that after my departure, either his departure from the 
region or his departure from the world. He's going to die 
eventually, and this is going to leave a vacancy within the 
context of some of the churches. For I know this, that after my 
departure, savage wolves will come in among you. The metaphor 
of sheep easily suggests the opposite. Who is the enemy of 
the sheep? It is savage wolves. And notice 
that Paul doesn't say, oh, these people that have some differing 
ideas, oh, these people whose values are a little bit different 
than yours. No, the enemies of the church 
of Jesus Christ for the apostle Paul are identified as savage 
wolves. That is their makeup, that is 
their DNA, that is their agenda, and we are fools not to recognize 
that. We are living with blinders on 
our eyes, thinking that there's just some differences in terms 
of tribes over in Nigeria, or in Kenya, or in China, or wherever 
it is. No, this is the enemies of God, 
described here as the savage wolves that are coming in to 
destroy the flock. And that's what he says specifically. 
Look at the language. For I know this, that after my 
departure, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing 
the flock. This is their purpose. This is 
their goal. They don't want to just, you 
know, bother us a little bit. They don't want to just guide 
us a little bit differently. They don't want to spare the 
flock. Destruction, mayhem, disorder, confusion, eradication, liquidation 
is what they have in their view. Listen to Gil. He says, fleecing 
it instead of feeding it. making merchandise of it, and 
like the Pharisees, under religious pretenses, devour widows' houses 
and drain the purses of men, and having as little compassion 
upon their souls, poisoning them with their errors and heresies, 
subverting their faith, and bringing them into swift ruin and destruction, 
as much as it would in them lie. So when we just kind of not pay 
attention, we're first of all violating scripture. Hebrews 
13 tells us we're to remember the prisoners, we're to consider 
them, we're to ponder them, we're to pray for them, we're to do 
what we can to alleviate their suffering. But we need to recognize 
the reality that savage wolves don't want to spare the flock. 
I don't understand why it is that we don't get this and why 
we think there's just some intramural debates or some differences that 
persons have. Jesus spoke in very clear-cut 
language, very black and white language, as does the Apostle 
Paul. Jesus says, if they hate me, 
they're going to hate you. The Apostle Paul says, all those 
who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 
Again, think about what it means to live godly in Christ Jesus. 
You go to church. You sing. You pray. You worship 
God. Typically, you're a hard worker. 
You pay your taxes. You cut your grass. You keep 
your car clean. You're a decent neighbor. You're 
the kind of person that anybody would see as a valuable asset 
to a contributing society, a contributor to society. And yet we're the 
pariahs. We're the spawn of Satan. We're 
the wicked ones that want to usurp and disrupt everything 
in the world. We're having this sort of battle 
in the United States right now in terms of the replacement with 
reference to the Supreme Court. Yeah, forgive us. We don't want 
a justice on the court that wants to slaughter babies. Call us 
weird. Call us nuts. Call us fundamentalists. Call us whatever you want. But 
this is a ghoulish, murderous practice. And may God Most High 
put on that court somebody that will say Roe versus Wade needs 
to stop. We need to stop the senselessness 
and the murder of these babies. Brethren, we are not a threat 
to society. And yet, because we're identified 
with Jesus Christ, who was no threat to society. Remember, 
they had to make up the charges in order to get him crucified. 
Oh yeah, he calls himself a king. Oh yeah, he certainly called 
himself a king because he is king of kings and Lord of lords. 
But they couched it in this way. He's a king after your job, Caesar. He's a king that wants to overthrow 
the Roman Empire, Caesar. He's the kind of king that wants 
to subjugate the Roman people. That's how they couched it. That's 
how they misrepresented it. That's how they got the kill 
order from Pontius Pilate, ultimately, because Jesus was perceived to 
be a threat, a revolutionary, against the civil order. Brethren, 
that's not why Jesus came. He shall save his people from 
their sins. He establishes a kingdom, to 
be sure, a kingdom of grace, a kingdom of glory, a kingdom 
of majesty, and a kingdom ultimately of power that will issue forth 
in a place wherein righteousness dwells, where there is no more 
abortion or euthanasia or the sorts of horrific activities 
that so often are on display in this civil order. So brethren, 
we need to understand the contrast made by Jesus and Paul with reference 
to the church and her enemies. But it's not just an external 
threat. Notice in verse 30. And again, I guess we could probably... 
at one level, understand why there's an external threat. Oh, 
they hate God, and they hate his people. It's the internal 
threat that's really distressing, isn't it? It's just that within 
our own ranks, we kill ourselves at times. We hurt ourselves. We divide and we conquer in our 
own little domain. Well, Paul doesn't just treat 
the threat from outside. They will come in. But notice 
in verse 30, he treats the threat from within. Verse 30, he says, 
also, from among yourselves. He's talking to the Ephesian 
elders. He's talking to gospel ministers. 
He's talking to men who've been recognized as qualified for service. Now brethren, recognition for 
qualification of service in the church is not foolproof on our 
side. Judas Iscariot was a devil. Judas Iscariot was a betrayer. He was from within and he messed 
up huge, hugely, to quote the president. This is the reality 
with reference to this situation. So we have this threat. He says, verse 30, also from 
among yourselves, men will rise up speaking perverse things to 
draw away the disciples after themselves. Now, in the first 
place, the external threat, as I said, is understandable, though 
still painful. Why would you wanna kill people 
that just wanna worship God? But the internal threat, again, 
this is painful. It's a really tough thing. So 
Paul was right, not only with reference, if he had in his head 
Judas Iscariot, but in 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy is written to Timothy, 
right? Timothy was in Ephesus, right? And we have these several names 
of defectors or apostates. You have in 1 Timothy 1, 18 to 
20, Hymenaeus and Alexander. 1 Timothy 4, 1 to 5, he doesn't 
give us any names, but men from within who departed and imbibed 
doctrines of demons and started to teach people that eating meat 
and having wives was somehow bad. Paul says that's a doctrine 
of demons. It is destructive and it ought 
to be stopped. 2 Timothy 1.15, we have two men 
by the name of Phygelus and Hermogenes. 2 Timothy 2.17 and 18, Hymenaeus 
is repeated again with a fellow called Phyletus. 2 Timothy 3.1-9, 
Paul tells us what the last days will look like. He's not dealing 
with the threat outside. In verse five, he says, they 
have a form of godliness, but they deny its power. So he's 
dealing with the internal threat of those either A, gospel ministers, 
or B, other influential persons within the context of churches 
that come in and try to draw the disciples of Christ away 
from Christ such that they will now follow them. And then the 
classic apostasy passage in 1 John 2.19, they went out from us, 
but they were not of us. Because if they were of us, they 
would not have gone out from us. But that they went out manifests 
or evidences that they were never really of us. So that is a reality 
that the church must be on guard for, is the internal threat. 
Now, by that, I don't mean that everybody you shake hands with 
or everybody you see, you raise your eyebrow and, you know, you 
ask them, are you going to destroy the church today? No, no, no. 
I'm not suggesting that. We are not to be, you know, suspicious 
of one another. you know, the 1984 Big Brothers 
watching you sort of a concept. That's not what's, you know, 
advocated here. But the reality is, is that within 
the context of the professing church, at times, it's not just 
the external threat, but it's the internal threat. Now, notice 
what else he says in verse 30. He says, also from among yourselves 
men will rise up speaking perverse things. speaking perverse things 
to draw away the disciples after themselves. Now, the external 
threat, they just shoot you, burn your buildings down, or 
slander you, or get you sort of disenfranchised from family 
and friends. I mean, there's really, you know, 
no end to the tactics that the external threat can pose with 
reference to the church. Paul has in his mind, with reference 
to this internal threat, they'll speak perverse things. See, if 
the health of the flock is seen in their good feeding upon the 
Word of God and theology, then when perverse things are introduced, 
you put a little poison into the water, it doesn't matter 
that 80% of the water is good, it's that 20% that'll kill you. 
And that's what these men will do. They'll rise up from among 
you, speaking perverse things. And they'll do so in a way to 
draw away the disciples after themselves. It is quite intriguing. Listen to John Calvin. He said 
that ambition is the mother of all heresies. Ambition is the 
mother of all heresies. Now, as I pondered that, I thought 
that's not necessarily true. In this passage, it certainly 
fits. It could be that a man is untrained. It could be that 
a man is unqualified. And it could be that a man's 
just dumb. It may not necessarily be his ambition or his craven 
desire to have people follow him. But for the most part, I 
think Calvin's on the right track. Ambition is the mother of a lot 
of heresies. And then this is what he says. 
He says, those are corruptors of sound doctrine who are addicted 
to themselves. This is terrifying, brethren. 
Narcissism is not just something confined to all of us, at least 
to some degree or other, but it's in ministers also. You're 
familiar with the story of Narcissus. He looked in the water, and he 
was just so intrigued and so enamored with how beautiful he 
was, he couldn't take his eyes off himself. And there's a bit 
of remaining corruption in each of us, where we all have a little 
bit of that, right? But in ministers, this is horrible. And this is what Calvin alludes 
to here. He says, those are corruptors of sound doctrine who are addicted 
to themselves and study to advance their own glory, which doth only 
darken Christ. And that's the context here. 
Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse 
things to draw away the disciples after themselves. What is the 
preacher supposed to do? He is supposed to preach Christ 
and Him crucified. He's not to talk about his experiences. He's not to share his heart. 
Brethren, the last thing you want is my heart. I don't want 
it half the time, three quarters of the time, 99% of the time. 
You certainly don't want it. You want the Word of God. You want 
sound hermeneutics applied. You want sound exegesis provided. You want the food placed at a 
level where you can munch on it, and where you can grow in 
the grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus 
Christ. That's the emphasis in gospel ministry, and that's where 
Paul ends this specific exhortation in verse 31. This is the reminder 
provided to the elders, therefore watch. He's already told them 
that in verse 28, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock. 
There's an external threat. There's an internal threat. That 
internal threat may arise from some of you right here. Therefore, 
watch. You've seen that command throughout 
scripture. Watch and pray. Be on guard. Take heed to yourselves. And 
when he alludes to, or when he says, and remember that for three 
years, Three years, I did not cease to warn you with tears." 
That meant that Paul not only positively preached the truth 
of God's holy word, but he also warned them about that which 
was not God's word. He warned them about that which 
was heretical, and he watched carefully over the flock to make 
sure they weren't ingesting arsenic or poison or some other thing 
instead of the true word of the living God almighty. So that 
is what he says. I do want to read this one quote 
from Alexander, then we'll close with a couple of thoughts. Can't 
ever just close. It's like the federal government. 
It just doesn't happen. There's got to be a process, 
right? Alexander makes this observation, and I think it's helpful because 
I think at times, I mean, not Paul so much, but a guy like 
Calvin. We kind of view Calvin as just 
this theology machine. All he did was sit in his study 
and write and yell at people if they disturbed him, and John 
Gill, same sort of thing, and Martin Luther, same sort of thing. 
They were real flesh and blood. They were real men affected with 
the same sorts of things that you and I are affected with. 
But Alexander makes this comment on the statement with tears. 
Notice Paul in 31, therefore watch and remember that for three 
years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. 
He says, meaning not that he was literally always weeping, 
but that his whole ministry was something more than a cold and 
heartless exhibition of the truth being warmed and animated by 
the tenderest affection towards them and a heartfelt desire for 
their salvation. That's what moved him. That's 
what motivated him. It wasn't just that he was a 
theology machine cranking out treatises, but rather he was 
in their midst, he was warning, and he was doing so with tears. 
He was affected. He was hurting. He was a man 
that felt the pains of the people around him. And that's the kind 
of fellow that we have, just like the master, the Lord Jesus 
Christ. He weeps at the tomb of Lazarus. He weeps as he approaches the 
city of Jerusalem, knowing that they are going to reject him 
and ultimately crucify him. That lament at the end of Matthew 
chapter 23, oh Jerusalem, oh Jerusalem, how many times I would 
have gathered you the way that a hen gathers its chicks, but 
you are not willing. You see, it's not just cranking 
out theology or sermons, but it's doing so in the context 
and arena of love and concern for the people that are ministered 
to. Now, in conclusion, in terms of the duties of biblical pastoral 
ministry, I think this passage is very helpful. First, to take 
heed to oneself and to all the flock. Second, the necessity 
to engage in oversight with reference to the flock. Third, the necessity 
to know the Word and good theology in order to instruct the flock 
in the Word and good theology. And then fourth, the necessity 
to follow the example provided by the Apostle Paul. So you see, 
when we interview or when we assess men for ministry, we come 
to this passage or passages like these. We come to passages that 
get at the ethos or the pathos of a man. We get at the logic, 
the rationality of the man. We understand and we want to 
seek to understand and determine whether or not he is fit and 
qualified to actually feed the people of God. See, brethren, 
it can't be that he's a great guy, he's wonderful, but he can't 
really preach that well. Brethren, can't really preach 
that well is very subjective. Do you know how I ascertain who 
can preach well and who can't? Do they tell me what the Bible 
says? You go to the book of Acts, there's no format as to what 
every sermon contains. Can I encourage all of us to 
be very gracious at this level when we test men, when we try 
men? They're not all going to be the 
same. God made Spurgeon Spurgeon. He made Calvin Calvin. He made 
Butler Butler. He makes men men the way that 
they are. And that's one of the beauties 
of gospel ministry. There's different approaches 
with the same truth, but certain persons are affected by one. 
They may not be affected by another. There's no crime in that. There's 
no wickedness in that. But the bottom line, when you 
hear a sermon, you have to ask the question, did the man preach 
the text? That's absolutely crucial. If 
he told me what the text says, if he tells me what the text 
means, that is a successful sermon. That's the bottom line. Not, 
well, he's very friendly. He likes to have coffee with 
people. He's very gregarious. He's very open. Those are all 
good things, brethren. They're good things in doctors, 
too. But I want a doctor who knows how to fix my broken hip. 
I don't care if he wants to have coffee with me after. I'd sure 
like him to be able to get in there and navigate in such a 
way that I don't have to limp for the rest of my life. Or if 
he's going to go open up my cranial cavity and start, you know, messing 
around in my brain, I'm not actually concerned if he's the nicest 
fellow on the face of the earth. I'm looking for a steady hand 
at that particular point. You see, brethren, we have it 
all wrong at times in the church. We measure men according to what 
we'd like them to be. No, we measure them according 
to what God commands them to be. Again, I know that sounds 
simple, but boy, we mess up a lot at it. The motives for biblical 
pastoral ministry, the recognition that the Holy Spirit puts men 
in ministry, the relationship that the pastor has with the 
flock, the function of the minister, the dignity of the flock, the 
value of the flock, and the threats posed to the flock, all converge 
to highlight for men, called to gospel ministry, some motivation 
as to why they ought to conduct themselves in the fear of God 
Almighty and obediently to His call and His cause. And then 
the final observation is with reference to that bit, to shepherd 
the church of God, which He has purchased with His own blood. 
What a wonderful Christ! One person, two natures, humanity 
and divinity. Heidelberg Catechism No. 16 asks, 
why must he be very man and also perfectly righteous? Because 
the justice of God requires that the same human nature which hath 
sinned should likewise make satisfaction for sin, and one who is himself 
a sinner cannot satisfy for others. He had to be man. He had to take 
on our humanity with all the essential properties and common 
infirmities thereof, and yet without sin. As the Fathers say, 
that which is not assumed is not redeemed. He has to assume 
our humanity in order to redeem us as men, as women, as boys 
and girls. But next one says, why must he 
in person be also very God? That he might, by the power of 
his Godhead, sustain in his human nature the burden of God's wrath, 
and might obtain for and restore to us righteousness in life. 
So what we need, specifically, God provided in the person and 
in the work of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. That, in and of 
itself, is proof that God is in the business of saving sinners. 
But additionally, the fact that the Spirit of God makes men overseers 
to shepherd the Church of God is an indicator that the Lord 
Most High is in the business of saving sinners. So don't tarry. Don't wait. Don't listen to bad 
theology. Oh, God doesn't really want to 
save. Come. Come to the Savior. Believe on 
Him. Look and live, Scripture says, 
and you will have everlasting life. Well, let us pray. Father, 
thank you for your Word. Thank you for the clarity of 
Paul's words in Acts 20. And God, I pray again for your 
blessing upon Mike and Suri, for this Mike that may potentially 
go to Vernon. I pray for your blessing upon 
Ryan and for all men who preach the gospel, all men who have 
been made overseers, among the church of God Most High. Bless 
and prosper and give great grace to ministers of the gospel to 
do what Paul calls us to do here, to take heed to themselves and 
to take heed to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has 
made them overseers. God, I pray that there'd be shepherding 
of the church of God, not with authoritarian, wretched men who 
are craving power and whatever it is that men might like, but 
just preach, preach, preach, preach, and teach the Word of 
God. That's the emphasis we find consistently in Scripture, and 
may that be the case in our own generation. Bless other churches 
in our community. God bless and prosper them. Help 
them to preach that truth, to not shun from declaring the whole 
counsel of God Almighty. And we ask this through Jesus 
Christ our Lord. Amen.