How to Keep on, Keeping-on: The CHurch's calling until Christ Returns
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2nd law of thermodynamics - garden, clean house with kids, shovel driveway in middle of blizzard, twice Macarthur had to leave, - I will return - middle of war on pacfic - Here too - but Paul's not reutrning = farewells of the Bible - even though opposition and struggle when Paul was there, still going well - living the dream - Artemis - replaced with new community!! But when things going well - cruise control, like Solomon's life count on past performance for present and future living ; story of OT Israel before comiong of the Messiah and the Spirit - fell away - Paul is compelled to keep on going - Ephesus gems of Aegean ministry = heart wrenching farewells !
Like MacArthus, like Jesus in his upper room discouse, - instruction on how to keep on keeping on. Confident that doesn't have to be a glimmer in pan, doens't have to end like SIrael - your life my lfe, wihtout miracles, without apsoltic revelation = How?
Key Truth: THe LORD provides sustainign gravce to lead us home and finsih the minsitry work , he calls us to!
A> See this in the past.
Paul was tempted to shrink back - plots from Jews, and perescutin from Gentiles...
Leaves an example how we must meet them : i. manner - gnetleness and with tears, and with trials!
Going to be the context of CHristian ministry in a broken hurting, sinful world, both within and without the church!
and manner which w e approach it ie. girl with secret - not reveal it to someone - utterly surprised, hystarics, not safe ; but someone with humlity - put you before me, womones with tears = like Macarthur, lke Lord jesus in the trenches Q who are you in the trench with even when things are going well?
Gentleness = shandle people with gloves on..
But here is the more major thing goes hand in hand with this lvoing manner -
THE streategy of ministry : declare profitable = not plitical, not opinions, not isnpriational fluff - jews or greeks, pepole like him or not like him insiders or outsiders, new comers or life long members = we all need the same thing =
One thing that we must be about : repentance toward God and of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; one is the goal and the other the means
Both publically and also privatefly, visiting, one to one friendship, bible study. 3 verbs how declare (gospel/messenger it) = like two sides of a ladder, not work with one.. wheels of a bicycle.
But Paul, turns to not his ucertianity and trial but also these congregations represented by the gathered elders from Ephesus and all these area schurches. Paul is leaving, never see his face again, and now in the present Paul outlines how they must faces the uncertainty:
Necessary intimes of uncertainty - Paul explains and again shows us the way of guidance, Hoply Spirit , prayer, prvovidence, counse of others - Agabus, other propthets each town . Butlisten God doesn't reveal details or the future to Paul - why wait on God and lean on HIm!
So Paul and now behold - even greater uncertanity for you and me - to Jerusalem -
B. let You trials crystalize his commitments =
Necessary intimes of uncertainty - Paul explains and again shows us the way of guidance, Hoply Spirit , prayer, prvovidence, counse of others - Agabus, other propthets each town . Butlisten God doesn't reveal details or the future to Paul - why wait on God and lean on HIm!
v.24 my life, later not ficxed on stuff of rich in Ephesus and many in congregation, doesn't judge the, but my eyes and my heart not cpatured by that - work so enoguh to share, but what my heart and eyes focus ois :
v.24 my life, later not ficxed on stuff of rich in Ephesus and many in congregation, doesn't judge the, but my eyes and my heart not cpatured by that - work so enoguh to share, but what my heart and eyes focus ois :
out of this world = do you focus on what will last forever, or are you a worldling = point of Jesus saying : hate life will find it = of course natural love life fight for it preserve it, give anything... Mystery of gospel is when lose own life, for sake of something so much bigger
out of this world = do you focus on what will last forever, or are you a worldling = point of Jesus saying : hate life will find it = of course natural love life fight for it preserve it, give anything... Mystery of gospel is when lose own life, for sake of something so much bigger
Make these big in your life find true life= i. gospel of the grace of God , tied up with the kingdom of God - coenant's promisess accoplished in Christ, and iii. the whole counsel of God!
Make these big in your life find true life= i. gospel of the grace of God , tied up with the kingdom of God - coenant's promisess accoplished in Christ, and iii. the whole counsel of God!
v.24 life wrapped up in self not the goal, person aways chossing easy road , sure way to get lost, never try anything hard , worth living and dying for - Paul says grace, kngdom, whole counsel of God = that’s the goal, finish line
= a minstry to other people; but listen its a minsty to living Christ - don’t have to be a supper star, dont have to be afraid of mistakes, knowocked down many times - but up again - and the telos,, the end the goal - keep running!
Well after Paul outlines his past three years of intense deep perosnal pminsitry as a model, says OK you guys have been given that great Goal - ou n oless tna me have grace, God bestowed on you a kingom, you have th whoel counsel of GOd - and out of those bountiful resources yoou live like this in the present, But now I got to tell you about your future, and better ready your elf forlies ahead.
And this is where Paul’s command to the church without the apostles comes, a command that echoes through centuries in these last days until Christ returns to us!
C. Two Commands Rooted in two Great Comforts:
Pay careful attention; literally means - to hold the mind or the ear to someone - ie Lord of Rings - Somthing like a cyrystal ball - hear the powe of the dark one - what is a Christain to hold his ear to? put our minds to being with? Nautical term - to hold a ship in great winds in set direction, set your sails towards - to yourself and the flock!
Once a child of God - incorpatared into Christ church have those great resources - ONE ANOTHER - commands - careful watch of our selves first, then one another - and htis espesially to leaership - not power trips and all sorts of new innovations - no - the flock -
What flock not just a gropu of people , you are the poeople for whom God’s bllod, sonf GOd incarnate - his life spilled for you - purchased, OT word of redemption of slave, Word of the Passover - God brought all these people out of the punishemnt and dath and slavery of sin - His flaock, not jsut peole here, but God’s Holy Spirit in our relatoinships in speciail way; and he has called and eqipped leaders to t what to care! In world where keep on hearing I dn’t care, apathy to slef-giving ove, only care about our seles HOly SPirit set leaders to lead in how we care for each other
You know what the greek word is for care - SHEPHERD! - thnk of , hear my voice, I know my sheep, follow me, lay down life, dro everything go after one sheep straying, one that’s .imping behind … ie trip valley of shadow - raging storms wash through waddees - amazing slowest to front, strongest you take this cirtical spot , be there for…
To happens in our homes - do you know each others critical spots, danger areas, fear, axiety producing, in our church
Wh is t so critical that this is what our misntiry is like for the future? Nothing more powerful that the word of God’s grace - whole counsel of God now in fulnes in Christ … but you know what there is nothing more destructive in your life and mine, in this pulpit, and in our tevlesiton and compsuter and phone screen over our radios aves - thatn the Word fierce wolves. Not just outside false teaching of the world, persecution , but men from within - don’t care about sheep really, nor about a close walk with the good Shephard, care about their nfity ideas, and their programs, and their agendsa - take tuth and tiwst iti lead bmany astry and craeat factions in Christ’s church - Stan’s plan whether they realize it or not is to lead peope in Christ’s church away from disicpleship! - Being saved and then living like and for Jesus!
Bible says, last times are upon us Mesisah has come and antichrist at work until he comes again. Was Paul right? He has in mind what happened a little West in Glaatia , jsut written lettere to them - Judaizers, false teacing split hcurhc, whoe bunch of them not livign by gospel anyomre - relgiousity, dvoetion but full of pride and damging What about here. Where wil you and I be without focus on being shepherded by God’s chruch with the whole counsel of God and teh word of God’s grace, and living for the kingdom? In just 35 years, Jjesus from heaven had to send this message to Ephesus through John - who ministered many years there!
But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.
THink it could happen here, you and the next genereation, two genreations from now - attacks within, moral faiture - storm is a brewing. Pual says it again using his humble gentle yet firm perosnal shephering as a model for all of us - elder and parishioiner alike:
Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.
Admonish can sound like a harsh word. But you know its what Paul called all Christians to do - counselling one naother … What we do when ashare struggle of parenting in godly way, business, of fmailyprobelm - how do i get through this sickness - see practidal problems on the ground - How does paul do it with tears
How did Paul do it? Not just words and tears, but do you remember when Jesus showed his glory - Mt of Tranfiguration - montian top glimpse - where did they go rght away fater other didscipls come saying - dad with real problem with his son - heart breaking - but we tried to cast out the demon . Rmember what Jesus said: only by prayer, or prayer and fasting! Listen to what Paul did next for the church that will be with out apsotles and miracles and new revelation -
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.
Two things you need more than anything to be effective as the church of Jeuss Christ in the future - stem from your faith - hope and love!
Paul is praying, comending like blessing at the end of every service, entrusting you to God and word of His Grace = Christ who is the WOrd, Christ who is full of grace and truth, Christ from whom we receive grace after grace - why Christ’s word as we comfort and counel withit Christ’s word is waht builds us up - turns the shambles and ruins of lour lives into beatufiul edifce; but here reis hope - only storn gin hope survive. fuel of keeping on lvoing and serviing and building - Paul using OT blessings here, and saying you church of Jesus entitled to live witht hesese blessings. If you are being built up, sanctified, that means you are a snatified person, not perfect but set apart for God to work in you, and athose who are sanctidfied 100% will be glorified, they will have the inhertiance of the saints in light! Got the down payment, taste of heaven in this colony of heaven the church - what grace, forgiveness, accetance, commutniy joy is like
Paul says tese are the things we must be living for in the future, and sherding each other to live by. These are the things help face any difficulty . Usig himself as an object lesson, though could have been paid a s apsto missionary, chose not to - not only not to be burden to poorin congreagiton, but why else - worekd to the bone - so he too had somehting to offer whom the weak!
Iportant NT word, Paul learned when weak then stong, power of Christ rests on him Paul ssaid we should… the weak… Here he pulls out a saying of Jeuss, whole world couldnt have contained,but circulating and this one into Holy Spcripture as Paul says saying of our Lord - great to receive what we do with god all the time, But blesses us to use our blessing giving to other,s epeeciallyteh weak
The tears flow , htink of saying good by to your bro/sist in faith in here, not touched by lovedo ne not hear, won’t see their faces - but listen they God’s face, and listen tranformed in that glory and one day we with them. Until then Paul says, this life is a race, for Paul but yes for us as the church of Christ too - Meet the theif who comes to steal kill and destory scatter the flock, distract us from the gospel of grace, the shepherding of ones naother, the blessing of living for and giving to the weak.
And they take him to ship, acocmpany him, do what all Christain frinds must do - Mizpah - the Lord wathc betwen you andme, Lord watch your coming in and your going out. They relisase him to finish the rest of his course which for Paul is Jerusaelm and Rome! But for the ephesians, short row, 30 miles walk - for them it was to the workd of minsitry, love of the weak, the care of flock! And foryou and me, as long as God gives us the time together here, til he returns or callls us home - Gospel service!