1 Alderwood Community Church December 5, 2010 Character First Acts 20:17-38 Intro: We are living in a day where we are experiencing a character crisis. We here in the news almost weekly that someone in the field of sports or entertainment, business, politics and even the ministry has blown up their character through stupid and self-absorbed choices they have made and left a trail of destruction and lack of trust. A Jeff Danziger cartoon shows a company president announcing to his staff, Gentlemen, this year the trick is honesty. From one side of the conference table, a vice president gasps, Brilliant. Across from the table, another VP mutters, But so risky! Two old ladies were walking around a somewhat overcrowded English country churchyard and came upon a tombstone. The inscription read: Here lies John Smith, a politician and an honest man. Good Heavenn! said one lady to the other. Isn t it awful that they had to put two people in the same grave! Context: Use map and walk them through Paul s travels from Ephesus to Corinth to Troas to Miletus. The setting in which Paul revealed these principles was his farewell speech to the elders of the Ephesian church. He was on his way to Jerusalem, bringing an offering from the Gentile churches for the needy in the Jerusalem church. By so doing he hoped to ease their physical burden, as well as to cement the spiritual bond between Jews and Gentiles in the church. The ship on which he and his companions were traveling had made a stopover at Miletus, on the coast of Asia Minor thirty miles south of Ephesus. From there, Paul sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. He had decided (for reasons of time) not to visit the church at Ephesus (20:16). However his love and concern for that church compelled him to give this final exhortation to its leaders. These men were especially dear to Paul s heart. He was their spiritual father and the founder of the local church they served. For three years he had nurtured and taught them, enduring persecution from the Jews and a riot caused by the Gentiles. They had grown to spiritual maturity under Paul s ministry, and he had released to them the oversight of the Ephesian congregation. Read Text: Acts 20:17-38 1. Lead By Example. (20:17-27, 33-35)
2 By reminding the Ephesian elders of their firsthand knowledge of his ministry, Paul was not only establishing himself as an example for them to emulate but also may have been defending himself. False teachers constantly attempted to tear down what he had built up, often by attacking his credibility (2 Cor. 10:10 12; 11:1.; Gal. 1:6 9; 3:1; 5:12; Phil. 3:2). Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. John 13:14-15 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:1 The Little Chap Who Follows Me A careful man I want to be, A little fellow follows me; I do not dare to go astray For fear he ll go the self-same way. I cannot once escape his eyes. Whate er he sees me do he tries. Like ME he says he s going to be- That little chap who follows me. I must remember as I go Through summer suns and winter snows, I am building for the years to be- That little chap who follows me. A. Serve with humility. (20:17-19) Despite Paul s incredible success as a missionary, church planter and Apostle, he was a humble man. What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 1 Corinthians 3:5 Humility is important, of course, because the opposite of humility is pride, and pride is a great danger for those who are in prominent positions of church leadership. It is a danger for anyone, but it is particularly dangerous for those who stand up and talk, at least if they are effective doing it, because people will always come up afterward to say, no doubt meaning well, Oh, that was a wonderful message or I was greatly blessed by that. The situation is dangerous because the minister may come to believe that he is indeed rather wonderful. After all, he has been a source of such great blessing to so many people. He may forget that any blessing that comes is from the Lord. Pride is subtle. (Pride, Conceit, arrogance) is the only disease known to mankind that makes everyone else sick except the person who has it.
3 When Paul says he served the Lord with tears he means that he was a man of great empathy. That is, he learned to identify with those to whom he ministered. We are told in Romans that we are to Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Rom. 12:15 I think one of the main reasons Paul was so effective at planting churches throughout the Greek and Roman world, besides his effective preaching, had a great deal to do with the empathy he had for other people. He struggled with them in their struggles and grieved with them in their grief s. Three things in particular moved Paul to tears: As mentioned, (1) he cried with fellow believers as he identified with them over their sorrow, their struggles and even their sin. To such believers he wrote, Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears (2 Cor. 2:4). (2) He grieved over the state of the lost. In Romans 9:2 3 he writes, I have great sorrow and unceasing grief in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed, separated from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh. (3) The serious threat posed by false teachers caused Paul to say to the Ephesian elders, in Acts 20:29-30 Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears (v. 31). To the Philippians he wrote, For many walk, of whom I often told you, and now tell you even weeping, that they are enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18). B. Preach/Teach with diligence. (20:20-21, 25-27) (1) He preached boldly I have not hesitated to preach anything (20) Concern, no fear of man (2) He preached publically (synagogue, lecture hall of Tyrannus) (20) (3) He preached privately house to house (20) (4) He preached to everybody I have declared to both Jews and Greeks (21) (5) He preached toward decisions. they must turn toward God in repentance and faith (21) Saving faith thus involves a person trusting wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Repentance is the turning away from self sufficiency and sin, and faith if turning towards Jesus Christ believing that he is indeed the savior who had died to take away our sin. (6) He preached comprehensively. I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. (27) Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage with great patience and careful instruction. 2 Timothy 4:2 C. Live with purpose. (20:22-24) Paul also had a proper set of priorities. He told the elders, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me the task of testifying to the gospel of God s grace. (24)
4 Only one thing mattered to Paul: to finish the work God had given him to do. What happened to him was of no consequence when compared to the unique nature of his calling from Christ Himself. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Hebrews 12:1 D. Work without greed. (20:33-35) 2. Pay Attention To Your Character. (20:28a) The pastoral epistles set forth the high standards for leaders in the church (1 Tim. 3:1 13; Titus 1:5 9). All of those guidelines are summarized in the requirement that a leader be above reproach (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6). The standards are high because the responsibility is great. After a whole chapter of instruction to the young preacher (1 Tim. 4:1 15), Paul summed up what he had said by calling Timothy to examine himself: Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16 (See: 1 Cor. 9:24-27) 3. Constantly Be On Guard Over Those Under Your Care. (20:28b-38) A. Shepherd the flock. (20:28) Life Groups/Pastors/Elders/table leaders/group leaders A charge to all our current leaders..a call to develop more leaders/groups Elder - πρεσβύτερος literally means older identifies them as the spiritual leaders of the church, with an emphasis on their spiritual maturity. Most always translated Elder. (17) overseers - Episkopos is composed of two parts: skopos, which is from the verb skopio (meaning to look ) and epi (meaning over ). So an episkopos is literally one who looks over or keeps watch over someone else. This is sometimes translated Bishop. Shepherd ποιμαίνω to tend and look out for the well being of sheep. Sometimes translated Pastor. This emphasizes the task of feeding and leading the sheep. The image of a flock is a strong image in the Old Testament, since it was written to people whose lives were mostly pastoral. Jesus spoke about himself as the Shepherd, saying, I am the
5 good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10:11). Paul is telling the leaders of the church to imitate Jesus. Their task was to take care of the sheep not to let them wander away, but to watch out for their health, defend them from enemies, and such things. B. Watch out for false teachers. (20:29-31) It is not enough for a faithful shepherd to feed and lead his flock, he must also protect it from predators. Paul had no doubt that after his departure false teachers would threaten the Ephesian church, as they already had entered the church at Corinth (2 Cor. 11:4) and the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:6). Whenever the truth is proclaimed, Satan can be expected to counter it with the lies of false doctrine. It has always been so. Jesus used the same language in describing false teachers as savage wolves. (Matt. 7:15; 10:16). Because of the serious danger they pose to the church, the Scriptures condemn false teachers in the strongest language. False teachers distort and twist God s truth for their own perverted ends. Draw away could be translated to drag away or to tear away. If the shepherd is not vigilant, Paul warns, the wolves will drag his sheep away to devour them. C. Pray for them. (20:32, 35-36) D. Our motive: (20:28) (1) It is a divine assignment. Of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants through whom you came to believe as the Lord has assigned to each his task. 1 Corinthians 3:5 (2) They are God s flock. Be Shepherds of the church of God So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God s fellow workers; you are God s field, God s building. 1 Corinthians 3:7-9 I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:18 (3) They have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ. Conclusion: 1. Lead by example. Mom, dad, teacher, manager, Pastor, Elder, small group leader 2. Pay attention to your character.
3. Constantly be on guard, looking out for those in your flock. 6