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You're listening to Key Life 
Fellowships Pulpit ministry 

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podcast. 
We thank you for tuning in as we

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learn from God's Word together. 
If you would like more 

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information regarding Key Life 
or to speak with one of our 

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pastors, please visit us at 
keylifefellow-ship.com. 

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Well, Amen. 
Hasn't our great God been kind 

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to us this morning, allowing us 
as Casey already thanked Him in 

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prayer, allowing us to have 
decent enough weather that we 

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could join together this Lord's 
Day to open His word, to open 

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our mouths, to declare, declare 
His praises and His glory. 

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So good to see all of you. 
If you have your Bibles, if you 

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would turn to First Timothy as 
we begin the 3rd chapter this 

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morning. 
All we're already walking 

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through the 1st 2 chapters in 
our series entitled Biblical 

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Ministers and Biblical Ministry 
as we look at Paul's Pastoral 

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Epistles, and I'm so thankful. 
I dreaded the thought of not 

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being able to meet with you guys
this morning to open the word of

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God and to see what he has for 
us. 

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And when I say what he has for 
us this morning, I want you to 

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understand the context of what 
we're looking at this morning. 

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He has a lot for me because 
today what we're going to be 

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talking about is the role of 
church leaders. 

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What role do we play? 
Our Calling, who, who we are, 

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who we are supposed to be. 
And we're going to begin A2 part

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message on that. 
Paul moves us from the roles 

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that we have seen and the 
callings of the laymen and the 

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lay women in the church, and he 
now moves to the role and the 

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calling of the church leaders, 
the pastors, the elders. 

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You're going to see the term 
overseer. 

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He's going to describe for us to
this role that the overseer has 

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in the one verse that we're 
going to look at today. 

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That is verse one here in 
chapter 3. 

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And so this message pertains 
first and foremost to the 

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pastors and to the elders and to
the leaders and the churches. 

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He does this before he moves 
into clear and specific 

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instructions on what the 
overseers lives ought to look 

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like. 
He's going to tell us here in 

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verse one, their importance, 
their heart, what it ought to 

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be. 
We're going to see, he's going 

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to give us a description of 
these men. 

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And I don't make apologies even 
in today's liberal time for 

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referring to them as these men. 
They always have been men. 

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They always will be men. 
We will not compromise on that 

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issue, period. 
And the reason that we're doing 

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this this morning, the reason 
that we're walking through the 

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Pastoral Epistles as a whole, is
because there is a tremendous 

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lack of understanding in the 
church surrounding what we ought

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to be as a church and what we 
ought to be as leaders. 

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I've already said that I'm going
to address myself. 

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I'm going to address our 
pastors. 

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I'm going to address our elders 
and our leaders in our church. 

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That doesn't mean that you who 
don't play any part in any of 

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those roles, just turn your ears
off and not listen this morning.

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I'm going to ask you that you 
hold us accountable to every 

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single thing that you see here 
in this week and the week to 

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follow, told the man out in our 
men's prayer before we started. 

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The day we're not doing this, 
the day we're not fulfilling Our

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Calling as we should should be 
our last day, whether through 

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firing us or whether through 
resignation, we're no longer 

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effective. 
So we read here this first verse

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in chapter 3. 
It says this here is a 

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trustworthy saying. 
If anyone sets his heart on 

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being an overseer, he desires a 
noble task. 

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I want us to see who these he's 
are, and I want us to look at 

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their tasks this morning. 
Let's pray to God the Father in 

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the name of Jesus. 
We thank you for this day. 

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We thank You that You have been 
so overly kind and gracious to 

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us. 
Lord, we thank You for the 

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wisdom and the discernment that 
you've given us to meet together

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today and to trust you well now 
we desire to hear from You 

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through Your Word, as we know 
that is the only way that we're 

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going to hear from you. 
God, I pray that you would speak

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to us and that through the 
teaching and the preaching of 

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Your Word, You would change us. 
For those who are pastors or 

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leaders or elders in the church 
today, I pray that we would be 

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challenged, even convicted if 
need be. 

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But I pray for those who are 
here today that Lord, you may 

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call to be leaders in the church
one day, even now. 

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God, I pray you use this message
to prepare them for lifelong 

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service and ministry to you. 
That we would see men have gone 

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step up and take this role 
seriously once again, and we 

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would not accept just being 
clowns that entertain people on 

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a Sunday morning. 
That we would finally and 

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ultimately again view this as 
one of God's highest callings 

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unto man. 
That we would Revere that 

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calling. 
And most importantly, that we 

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would Revere the God who has 
called us. 

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And I pray for the soul who's 
here today who does not know 

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Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
God, I ask that you would have 

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mercy on their soul, and you 
would open their eyes to see 

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their need for a Savior, and you
would show them how utterly lost

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and in the darkness that they 
are. 

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And God, that your kindness, 
your mercy would lead them to 

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repentance, that today they 
would surrender their lives to 

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Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
We'll give you all the glory. 

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Forward. 
We pray and we ask these things 

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in Christ's name, Amen. 
So we see one very clear, very 

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concise, very simple verse here.
And if we look at it very 

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carefully today, we'll see that 
it begins to describe for us and

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to teach us about the role of 
church leaders. 

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And what is that role? 
I want you to see this very 

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quickly. 
As he begins this, Paul begins 

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with a familiar statement. 
He says this is a trustworthy 

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saying. 
This is not a term that Paul 

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never uses or hasn't used 
before. 

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In fact, Paul uses this term in 
his pastoral epistles to 

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indicate moments that are 
essential in their nature 

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important. 
Teachings that he wants the 

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congregation to hear. 
It's like he's saying, listen up

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or hear ye, hear ye. 
What are you saying? 

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You might want to pay attention 
to this very closely. 

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This is some important stuff. 
So when you see Paul in the 

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pastoral epistles, use that 
phrase. 

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Here is a trustworthy saying. 
He is saying, listen to me. 

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This is important. 
Don't let this just just fall by

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the wayside. 
Pay attention to what I'm about 

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to tell you. 
He uses this term in first 

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Timothy chapter one. 
We saw it in verse 15 where he 

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says here's a trustworthy saying
that deserves full acceptance. 

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Christ Jesus came into the world
to save sinners, of whom I am 

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the worst. 
He's saying Christ came to save 

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sinners. 
Pay attention to that. 

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It's important. 
First Timothy, chapter 4, verse 

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9. 
He's going to say this. 

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This is a trustworthy saying 
that deserves a full acceptance.

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He uses it again and his 
teaching. 

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He uses it in Second Timothy as 
well in chapter 2 verse 11. 

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And then in Titus chapter 3, 
verse 8, he says this is a 

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trustworthy saying. 
And I want you to stress these 

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things. 
He's saying these are important 

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things. 
So when Paul would begin to 

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teach on an important section 
that really demanded the full 

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attention of his listeners, this
first listener? 

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Being Timothy, of course he 
would have received this letter.

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He's saying to Timothy, that 
young pastor there in Ephesus. 

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Listen up, son. 
Pay attention to this. 

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Hear ye, hear you. 
This is of utmost importance. 

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Why? 
Why is this important? 

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I want you to see first. 
If you're taking notes, you can 

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write this down the. 
Role of a church leader is an 

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essential role that's why he 
gets his attention to show him 

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the essential. 
Role. 

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That he is playing there in the 
church, it's essential. 

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It's essential meaning this that
is an important. 

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Role. 
In and to the Church. 

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Why is it so essential? 
Why is it so important right 

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now? 
When I say that I understand 

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this, it's very difficult for me
to stand up here playing this 

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role and to tell you this, that 
my role. 

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Is very important, but I did not
ordain this role. 

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I did not design this role. 
God then, and God is letting us 

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know how important this role is,
that it is ordained by God 

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Himself. 
Why? 

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Because it is through the role 
of leadership in the church, as 

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we know, beginning with the 
apostles and the prophets we 

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know that Christ himself poured 
into those apostles. 

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They began the early church then
passing that along to the 

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pastors and to the teachers and 
to the elders of the churches 

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that would come about in 
history. 

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So we know that this is an 
important role. 

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This is God's design to minister
and to lead and to teach the 

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church through these God called 
men. 

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It's their job to warn about the
difficult thing to defend 

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against the false teachings and 
the false doctrines that come 

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along constantly. 
In fact, Paul tells Titus and 

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Titus 19, he says, you must hold
firmly to the trustworthy 

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message. 
That's the gospel as it has been

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taught, so that you can 
encourage others by sound 

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doctrine and refute those who 
oppose it. 

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This is an. 
Important role. 

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In the church, because the enemy
is introducing constantly 

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doctrines of demons. 
And it is the role of the pastor

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and the elder, those overseers 
in the church. 

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It is their role. 
To defend against the false 

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teaching that would creep in, 
you can do just this. 

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Turn on any Christian broadcast 
company nowadays. 

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You men who are attending on 
Thursday night, who are learning

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about the various ancient 
heresies and seeing how they 

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are, are popping up again in our
culture. 

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You know this, There really are 
doctrines of demons, and we 

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really do need a man who will 
tell us constantly from the 

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Scriptures to be aware of these 
things. 

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They're cancerous. 
They're coming at us from every 

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angle. 
They're coming at your family 

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from every angle. 
They're coming at your children 

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from every angle. 
And it is a pastor's role to 

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warn about those things. 
It's an important role because 

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he has a responsibility to teach
the Scriptures to the 

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congregation. 
This too is by God's design. 

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Oftentimes the critics would 
ask, who does this guy standing 

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in the pulpit think that he is? 
I hope that he doesn't think 

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that he's anything but hope that
he thinks Christ is everything. 

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And I hope that he thinks that 
his Word is true and that he 

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will passionately preach the 
Word without apology every time 

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he stands in this most important
role in the church. 

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Because it is essential. 
Because this is the way that God

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has designed it, whether you 
like it, whether you don't. 

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It's our responsibility as 
leaders, pastors in this church 

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to teach you, not only myself, 
but all of our pastors who are 

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constantly devoting their lives,
devoting their time through 

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Bible studies, through writing 
Bible studies, through teaching 

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Bible studies, through reach 
groups, wherever you see them, 

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serving the Lord in the capacity
of a teacher. 

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They've been entrusted with this
important role from God to give 

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you instructions and to give you
instructions as they watch over 

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your souls. 
Many pastors often forget this, 

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that we're Watchmen, we're under
shepherds to the Great Shepherd,

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and our duty is to watch over 
your soul. 

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Isn't it sad that we live in a 
time and even in church culture,

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where if a pastor went to one 
who was a member of that church 

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who was struggling and 
confronted them with an issue, 

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oftentimes they get upset at the
pastor for actually doing his 

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job. 
He's not coming at you in some 

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judgmental fashion. 
He is simply concerned about 

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your soul. 
He wants you to see the error of

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your way. 
Why? 

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So that he can point you from 
the scriptures back to Christ so

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that you don't fall away. 
It's a. 

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Very, very important role that 
needs to be taken seriously. 

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Hebrews 13, seven says this 
about the church leaders, about 

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the pastors, he said. 
Remember your leaders who spoke 

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the word of God to you. 
Consider their outcome of their 

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way of life and imitate their 
faith. 

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Consider those leaders, see 
their lives, imitate their 

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faith. 
What an important role that we 

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have, you men who are pastors in
this. 

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Church, or perhaps your pastors 
elsewhere, or leaders elsewhere.

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Or perhaps you are a teenage boy
who you know that God is calling

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you to preach. 
Pay attention to this because I 

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want you to see the importance 
of your. 

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Role that when others quit, you 
can't. 

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Why the entire church is 
depending upon you, When others 

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waver, you can't. 
Why the entire body of Christ is

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00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:21,360
depending upon you? 
When others become lazy, you 

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00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:26,240
can't. 
It is our duty to dedicate our 

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00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:30,040
lives to this important role and
to live a life that reflects 

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Christ as an example for others 
in every single thing that we 

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do. 
Peter gives instructions to the 

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00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:41,480
leaders in First Peter 5/3. 
He tells us not to Lord over 

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00:14:42,120 --> 00:14:46,880
those who are entrusted to us, 
but to be examples to you. 

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00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,320
I pray that I never Lord over 
any of you or try to control any

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00:14:52,320 --> 00:14:56,160
of you, but I pray that I would 
live such a life and that our 

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00:14:56,160 --> 00:14:58,720
pastors in this church and our 
elders in this church would live

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such a life that it points you 
to Christ. 

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00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:07,440
It gives you a greater desire to
serve Him, to walk with Him, 

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00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:12,360
gives you a greater desire to 
display His glory in your lines.

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We have an important role. 
Men live as examples as we teach

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00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:22,160
the Word of God, Paul tells 
Timothy in chapter 4, and we'll 

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00:15:22,160 --> 00:15:25,680
spend time looking at this in 
great detail when we get there. 

250
00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:28,640
But he tells Timothy not to let 
anyone look down on him because 

251
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he's young, but to set an 
example for believers. 

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00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:38,120
And he says in speech, how you 
talk, how you talk to people in 

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conduct, how you behave in love,
how you love others in faith, 

254
00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:48,280
you trust God or do you not 
really trust God? 

255
00:15:48,280 --> 00:15:50,240
Or do you only just say you 
trust God in the pulpit? 

256
00:15:50,240 --> 00:15:53,120
Are you giving the example that 
you really do trust God by 

257
00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,640
faith? 
This is be an example. 

258
00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,840
And also in purity. 
Live a life of holiness before 

259
00:16:01,840 --> 00:16:04,040
your congregation. 
Live a life as we're going to 

260
00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:07,480
see in the next message in the 
week to come. 

261
00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:11,080
Live a life that is above 
reproach. 

262
00:16:11,520 --> 00:16:14,640
What does that mean? 
You choose not to do some things

263
00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:19,240
that could be seen as things 
that would bring reproach upon 

264
00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,480
the name of Christ in the name 
of His church. 

265
00:16:23,560 --> 00:16:25,720
Why? 
Because you're called to be an 

266
00:16:25,720 --> 00:16:28,240
example. 
It's an important role. 

267
00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:33,480
We'll see the essential nature 
of this role, an important role 

268
00:16:33,480 --> 00:16:35,040
in the church. 
That's why it's essential, but 

269
00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:37,200
also it's an integral part of 
God's plan. 

270
00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:42,880
It is God's plan to have pastors
and leaders to oversee you. 

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00:16:42,880 --> 00:16:44,720
That's why he calls them 
overseers. 

272
00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,240
That's why he takes the time to 
describe for you what it is that

273
00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,400
they are and that they do. 
God has, by His own sovereign 

274
00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:58,240
design, designed this role so 
that the church would not be 

275
00:16:58,480 --> 00:17:02,640
wavering to and fro without any 
leadership or oversight, without

276
00:17:02,640 --> 00:17:06,560
any compassion or direction or 
accountability. 

277
00:17:06,560 --> 00:17:08,560
Don't get mad. 
If a pastor holds you 

278
00:17:08,560 --> 00:17:11,280
accountable, don't get mad. 
If a pastor challenges you, 

279
00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:14,839
don't get mad if I preach 
something from the pulpit that 

280
00:17:14,839 --> 00:17:16,480
brings conviction upon your 
life. 

281
00:17:16,480 --> 00:17:19,079
I didn't bring the conviction. 
I just relayed the message. 

282
00:17:19,240 --> 00:17:21,200
It's the Holy Spirit's job to 
bring the conviction. 

283
00:17:22,160 --> 00:17:24,720
You take that up with him. 
In fact, I would encourage you 

284
00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:26,599
the best thing to do is repent 
in that moment. 

285
00:17:26,599 --> 00:17:30,920
Not get mad at the messenger, 
but to thank God that He has 

286
00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,200
sent people to oversee and to 
watch over your soul. 

287
00:17:35,080 --> 00:17:38,360
It's an integral. 
Part of his plan back in Acts 

288
00:17:38,360 --> 00:17:43,240
20, Paul gives some instruction 
to the leaders there as he's 

289
00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,760
leaving Ephesus. 
He says verse 28, keep watch 

290
00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,520
over yourselves and all the 
flock of which the Holy Spirit 

291
00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,760
has made you overseers. 
Be shepherds of the Church of 

292
00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:55,000
God, which he bought with his 
own blood. 

293
00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:58,120
I know that after I leave, 
savage wolves will come in among

294
00:17:58,120 --> 00:17:59,920
you and will not spare the 
flock. 

295
00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:01,040
He's warning them. 
What is he saying? 

296
00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,840
Be examples. 
Lead people. 

297
00:18:02,960 --> 00:18:05,720
Watch out for the wolves in 
sheep's clothing. 

298
00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:10,320
Don't be afraid. 
Point them out to call them out 

299
00:18:11,080 --> 00:18:13,680
to tell the people they are 
exactly what they are because 

300
00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:15,520
they bring damage. 
Their ethical part? 

301
00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,880
God's plan for the church. 
Where would we be without the 

302
00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:23,800
leaders who constantly point us 
to Christ through preaching, 

303
00:18:23,800 --> 00:18:26,920
through teaching, through 
personal encouragement and 

304
00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:33,280
edification? 
Oh, the very office of an 

305
00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,760
overseer in the church is 
essential. 

306
00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:40,920
It's essential because it is the
integral part of God's plan. 

307
00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:43,040
It is essential because it's an 
important role. 

308
00:18:44,880 --> 00:18:52,000
But please make note of this and
take note of this, the centrical

309
00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,840
part of God's plan, the pastors 
and the leaders of the church. 

310
00:18:56,800 --> 00:19:01,560
It's a gift of God's grace to 
each and everyone of you. 

311
00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:03,880
Now, I don't say that 
arrogantly. 

312
00:19:03,880 --> 00:19:05,640
Then don't leave here and say 
Kirk Hall stood up there and 

313
00:19:05,640 --> 00:19:11,400
said he is the gift from God. 
His position is a gift from God.

314
00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:15,800
Kirk Hall is in Mass who is in 
need of God's grace just as much

315
00:19:15,800 --> 00:19:22,480
as each and everyone of you. 
But the position that he has 

316
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,280
given me is a gift. 
In fact, Ephesians 4 speaks of 

317
00:19:26,280 --> 00:19:29,880
it as a gift. 
It says in verse 11, So Christ 

318
00:19:29,880 --> 00:19:34,440
himself gave the apostles, the 
prophets, the evangelists, the 

319
00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:36,480
pastors, and the teachers. 
Where do you think that this 

320
00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:43,000
gracious gift came from? 
It's Christ who promised never 

321
00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:49,120
leave us, never forsake us, who 
promised the church that He 

322
00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:53,880
would not abandon them. 
And He has throughout the ages 

323
00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:57,520
provided for them leaders who 
are capable of leading exactly 

324
00:19:57,520 --> 00:19:59,640
where He desires for His church 
to go. 

325
00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:03,640
What a gift. 
I pray that you would see the 

326
00:20:03,640 --> 00:20:06,240
pastors and the leaders in this 
church and whatever church you 

327
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:09,680
serve at as a gift from God, 
that you would thank the Lord 

328
00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:13,440
for them as they give their 
time. 

329
00:20:14,680 --> 00:20:18,360
As they give their thoughts, as 
they give their prayers to you 

330
00:20:18,360 --> 00:20:23,920
and to your family, I pray that 
you would thank God for them in 

331
00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:27,760
return because they are a 
gracious gift, an integral part 

332
00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:34,920
of God's plan in His church. 
This office of overseer that we 

333
00:20:34,920 --> 00:20:38,440
see here being mentioned by 
Paul, including Timothy, and 

334
00:20:38,440 --> 00:20:41,000
those who would be in leadership
there in Ephesus as he writes to

335
00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:44,280
them. 
This office is designed for 

336
00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,120
purpose and that purpose is to 
equip and to encourage the 

337
00:20:47,120 --> 00:20:51,720
Saints to equip and to encourage
the Saints to be useful in 

338
00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:56,400
ministry, to use their spiritual
giftedness and to use it for the

339
00:20:56,400 --> 00:21:02,160
glory of God and for the gospel.
God has ordained these leaders, 

340
00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:08,280
these ministers, so that you can
be prepared to do what God wants

341
00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,160
for you to do. 
Ephesians 4, as we continue 

342
00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,040
reading in verse 12, it says to 
equip His people for works of 

343
00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:18,280
service so that the body of 
Christ may be built up until we 

344
00:21:18,280 --> 00:21:20,880
all reach unity in the faith and
in the knowledge of the Son of 

345
00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:23,920
God and become mature, attaining
to the whole measure of the 

346
00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,120
fullness of Christ. 
That's the role of the leaders, 

347
00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:32,280
to make sure that each and 
everyone of you here are 

348
00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:36,040
striving toward a place of 
maturity in the Lord Jesus 

349
00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,200
Christ. 
To encourage you to spend time 

350
00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:42,480
in prayer, to spend time in 
service and ministries, to spend

351
00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:47,280
time in the Word of God so that 
you will grow as you're walking 

352
00:21:47,280 --> 00:21:49,080
through the sanctification 
process. 

353
00:21:50,440 --> 00:21:55,360
And as we saw Hebrews chapter 
13, verse 17, when we looked at 

354
00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:57,600
it verse 7, we looked at it a 
moment ago, the great 

355
00:21:57,600 --> 00:21:59,440
responsibility and the important
role. 

356
00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:03,320
But we also see this him 
describing for us in verse 17 of

357
00:22:03,320 --> 00:22:07,720
that same 13th chapter. 
He's instructing the believers 

358
00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:11,280
there to have confidence in 
their leaders and to submit to 

359
00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:13,080
their authority. 
Why? 

360
00:22:13,080 --> 00:22:18,760
Because they keep watch over you
as those who have to give an 

361
00:22:18,760 --> 00:22:21,280
account. 
Why is this an essential role? 

362
00:22:21,280 --> 00:22:24,800
We have to give an account. 
It's important that our role is 

363
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:26,160
fulfilled as leaders in the 
church. 

364
00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:27,560
Why? 
We're going to stand before God 

365
00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,120
and we're going to give an 
account for how we LED God's 

366
00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,200
people. 
And that's no joke. 

367
00:22:34,400 --> 00:22:37,320
That's something that we have to
take seriously, that the elders 

368
00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:39,800
have to take seriously, that our
staff pastors have to take 

369
00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:41,360
seriously. 
And everybody in any type of 

370
00:22:41,360 --> 00:22:43,960
leadership in this church must 
take seriously. 

371
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:47,960
Many people in our culture think
this, oh, it's pretty cool, 

372
00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:49,520
looks cool to be a pastor, kind 
of glamorous. 

373
00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:51,040
You get to stand in the lights. 
It's not that cool. 

374
00:22:54,520 --> 00:22:56,120
It comes with great 
responsibility. 

375
00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:03,720
We are entrusted to watch over 
each and everyone of Christ's 

376
00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:08,480
sheep, and we will give an 
account for how we do that. 

377
00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:11,440
There have been people 
throughout my ministry who want 

378
00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:13,480
me just to lighten up a little 
bit about that. 

379
00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:16,680
Why don't you just loosen up a 
little bit? 

380
00:23:16,680 --> 00:23:19,480
No, that's a great 
responsibility that I'm not to 

381
00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:24,720
loosen up about. 
I will give an account for every

382
00:23:24,720 --> 00:23:30,640
single one of you. 
How I taught you, how I loved 

383
00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:36,240
you, how I ministered to you. 
Both pastors would learn to see 

384
00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,360
how essential their role really 
is. 

385
00:23:39,120 --> 00:23:44,080
That we have been entrusted with
this important role, this 

386
00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,480
integral part of God's work and 
His church. 

387
00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:51,960
Yet we will give an account. 
You see that it is an essential 

388
00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:53,280
role. 
Secondly, we see this. 

389
00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,120
It's an exclusive role. 
If we're going to understand the

390
00:24:00,120 --> 00:24:03,120
role and the calling of pastors 
and leaders in the church, it's 

391
00:24:03,120 --> 00:24:08,600
an exclusive role. 
Paul goes on to say, here's a 

392
00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,800
trustworthy saying. 
Pay attention to this. 

393
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,640
This is essential. 
This is important. 

394
00:24:13,920 --> 00:24:20,240
And then he says if anyone sets 
his heart on being an overseer, 

395
00:24:21,640 --> 00:24:24,800
he uses the masculine there so 
that we understand how exclusive

396
00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,920
this role is. 
And I know I'm not going to make

397
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:32,920
friends now, and that's OK. 
I want to make disciples, and I 

398
00:24:32,920 --> 00:24:36,000
want to make disciples to trust 
the word of God over people's 

399
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:39,840
emotions and their liberal 
ideologies. 

400
00:24:41,280 --> 00:24:44,920
He says if anyone sets his heart
on being an overseer, the 

401
00:24:44,920 --> 00:24:47,880
overseer, of course, describing 
for us, as I've mentioned, the 

402
00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:52,800
pastor, the Bishop, some of your
translations say the elders who 

403
00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,240
share in those pastoral 
responsibilities, those who 

404
00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:57,560
would teach. 
In the church. 

405
00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:02,520
One who leads, one who directs 
the affairs of the church. 

406
00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:07,800
This is an exclusive role and 
what we believe and what we 

407
00:25:07,800 --> 00:25:12,160
teach about this role here at 
Key Life Fellowship, it's not 

408
00:25:12,160 --> 00:25:15,880
because we prefer this teaching.
It's because it's purely 

409
00:25:15,880 --> 00:25:19,680
biblical. 
Though many refuse to believe 

410
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:21,960
the black and the white of 
Scripture on this topic. 

411
00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:25,800
Right where he says things like 
if anyone sets his heart, that 

412
00:25:25,800 --> 00:25:30,960
could mean her heart too, then 
it wouldn't say his and he 

413
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:32,840
wouldn't have just spoken prior 
to this. 

414
00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,280
And the passages that we read 
there in Chapter 2 last week, 

415
00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:37,760
that I do not permit a woman to 
teach her to have authority over

416
00:25:37,760 --> 00:25:40,640
a man, only to come back and 
say, oh, and if a woman wants to

417
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:43,200
have authority over a man to 
teach over a man, here, here's 

418
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,920
some qualifications for her. 
It wouldn't make sense at all, 

419
00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,880
would it, in its context. 
I know what happens at this 

420
00:25:50,880 --> 00:25:52,800
juncture, Pastor, that makes me 
mad. 

421
00:25:52,800 --> 00:25:54,040
I have an aunt. 
Who's the pastor? 

422
00:25:54,040 --> 00:25:58,080
No, you don't. 
You have an aunt who's 

423
00:25:58,080 --> 00:26:01,240
pretending to be a pastor who 
needs to get right with the 

424
00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:02,560
Lord. 
She needs to get right with 

425
00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:06,400
Scripture, she needs to repent. 
But you don't understand. 

426
00:26:06,400 --> 00:26:07,520
She's ministered to a lot of 
people. 

427
00:26:07,520 --> 00:26:09,040
She can still minister to a lot 
of people. 

428
00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:14,120
But the role of pastor is 
exclusive for the male, for the 

429
00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:16,680
men. 
And we saw why last week. 

430
00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:18,800
We don't have to go back and we 
don't have to cover this again. 

431
00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:24,120
He said Eve was deceived. 
Leadership roles got out of 

432
00:26:24,120 --> 00:26:27,760
whack and what happened it? 
Started this chain reaction of 

433
00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:29,600
men falling into sin for all the
time. 

434
00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,600
Now he's saying this, that the 
role of pastor and leader is an 

435
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:39,080
exclusive role that belongs only
to men. 

436
00:26:39,800 --> 00:26:43,560
That's how exclusive it is. 
I'm not going to even argue this

437
00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:45,720
anymore. 
I'm not going to debate with 

438
00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:50,480
people anymore. 
This is a role that belongs only

439
00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:56,960
to men, without exception. 
He says if anyone sets his 

440
00:26:56,960 --> 00:27:01,240
heart, his I know we're pronoun 
confused in our culture. 

441
00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:11,320
Let me just make this clear. 
His boy, her girl, everybody 

442
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,480
clear. 
I don't have to break that down 

443
00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:18,040
in. 
Greek or Hebrew or Latin. 

444
00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:23,760
We all got that, don't we? 
See it here. 

445
00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:28,280
The role of pastors, elders, 
overseers in the church has 

446
00:27:28,280 --> 00:27:33,240
always been and will always be 
exclusively reserved for men. 

447
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:39,320
Naturally born men. 
Boy, you try to use that one. 

448
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:44,480
Because whether we know the 
difference or not, God knows the

449
00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,320
difference. 
He knows exactly what He created

450
00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:51,160
them to be. 
So you look at the role of 

451
00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:53,280
pastors and elders and we see 
this, that it's an exclusive 

452
00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:57,160
role that belongs only to men. 
Let's stop even entertaining 

453
00:27:57,200 --> 00:27:59,400
arguments with these people 
about these things. 

454
00:28:01,440 --> 00:28:04,600
Why waste our time? 
We could be using that time to 

455
00:28:04,600 --> 00:28:07,320
share the gospel. 
We could be using that time to 

456
00:28:07,320 --> 00:28:09,680
minister to others. 
I don't have to grab some 

457
00:28:09,680 --> 00:28:13,200
platform and debate someone over
something that is so clearly 

458
00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:16,320
laid out in scripture. 
I just simply have to say here, 

459
00:28:16,320 --> 00:28:18,360
read it. 
I got other things to do. 

460
00:28:19,240 --> 00:28:22,200
It's very clear. 
Belongs to a man. 

461
00:28:25,480 --> 00:28:27,280
Not to say women don't have a 
place in ministry. 

462
00:28:27,880 --> 00:28:30,240
They always have and they always
will. 

463
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,040
Because that's what immediately 
happens, right? 

464
00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:33,840
This is an exclusive role for 
men. 

465
00:28:34,040 --> 00:28:36,440
Oh, you're saying that women 
don't have a place in ministry. 

466
00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:39,440
Has anybody heard me say that? 
Absolutely not. 

467
00:28:41,320 --> 00:28:44,480
My wife is not a pastor of this 
church. 

468
00:28:45,720 --> 00:28:46,960
Does she have a role in this 
ministry? 

469
00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:49,440
You bet. 
Where is she right now? 

470
00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:51,560
She's down the hallway teaching 
little kids. 

471
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:53,880
You know where she's going to be
this afternoon? 

472
00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:55,680
She's going to be ministering to
me. 

473
00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:57,760
She's going to be encouraging 
me. 

474
00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:00,040
When the enemy comes along to me
and says, Kirk, what you said up

475
00:29:00,040 --> 00:29:01,360
there, it wasn't even worth 
saying. 

476
00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:03,880
You're, you're the most 
worthless preacher and pastor 

477
00:29:03,960 --> 00:29:05,280
that ever walked the face of the
earth. 

478
00:29:05,360 --> 00:29:06,400
You know what my wife's going to
do? 

479
00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:08,160
She's going to minister to me 
because she's going to encourage

480
00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:09,160
me. 
She's going to pray for me. 

481
00:29:10,560 --> 00:29:12,800
I couldn't do my role. 
She didn't do her role. 

482
00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:19,120
So don't leave here and say Kurt
said that women don't have any 

483
00:29:19,120 --> 00:29:21,280
role in ministry. 
They do not have leadership 

484
00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:28,080
roles in the church. 
Biblically, that's God's design,

485
00:29:28,920 --> 00:29:33,160
as we saw last week in chapter 2
of this same letter where he 

486
00:29:33,160 --> 00:29:35,640
said a woman should learn 
quietness in full submission. 

487
00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:38,600
I do not permit a woman to teach
or to assume authority over a 

488
00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,680
man. 
She must be quiet. 

489
00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:44,000
He says exactly why for Adam was
formed at first. 

490
00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,600
He goes back to creation order. 
This is the way God designed it 

491
00:29:46,600 --> 00:29:49,440
from the beginning for man ever 
fell. 

492
00:29:49,440 --> 00:29:55,160
It was his design. 
So he formed Adam 1st and then 

493
00:29:55,160 --> 00:29:57,600
Eve. 
We know he formed Eve from Adam 

494
00:29:58,320 --> 00:29:59,480
and Adam was not the one 
deceived. 

495
00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:02,400
It was the woman who was 
deceived and became a Sinner. 

496
00:30:04,120 --> 00:30:06,920
He's saying it's not her role. 
Doesn't mean she doesn't have a 

497
00:30:06,920 --> 00:30:10,000
role, but he established all 
that so that he can now teach us

498
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:13,680
in chapter 3 what the role of 
the pastor, the the overseer 

499
00:30:13,800 --> 00:30:17,080
really is. 
It's an exclusive role that 

500
00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,480
belongs to men. 
Now watch what he says next 

501
00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:21,120
because you can miss this if you
don't read scripture. 

502
00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:23,800
Everyone understand what I mean 
when I say read scripture. 

503
00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:25,280
Don't just go through it as fast
as you can. 

504
00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,000
He says as if anyone sets his 
heart. 

505
00:30:30,360 --> 00:30:32,640
Oh, that's a big word. 
He's not talking about the organ

506
00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:35,840
that pumps blood throughout your
body. 

507
00:30:37,520 --> 00:30:39,600
In fact, if you were to break 
this down, in the original, he's

508
00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,840
talking about your very bowels. 
What is he saying? 

509
00:30:42,840 --> 00:30:47,920
Your guts. 
He's saying this is a man who is

510
00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:52,640
called by God from the depths of
his guts, from his inmost being,

511
00:30:52,840 --> 00:30:55,920
the deepest part of you, because
that's where God calls you to 

512
00:30:55,920 --> 00:30:59,160
this role. 
And so I want you to understand 

513
00:30:59,160 --> 00:31:01,320
when he's telling us that this 
is an exclusive role. 

514
00:31:01,600 --> 00:31:06,120
One, it belongs only to men, but
two, it begins in the heart, and

515
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,920
it begins in the heart by a 
work. 

516
00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:12,400
Of God. 
It's God who calls us 

517
00:31:13,280 --> 00:31:16,520
internally. 
Spurgeon said it like this. 

518
00:31:16,520 --> 00:31:19,600
He said a man who has no inward 
call thinks lightly of the 

519
00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:24,280
ministry and undertakes it as he
would any other profession. 

520
00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,960
Boy, there is enough of that 
going on in the so-called church

521
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:34,560
in America today. 
Men who call themselves pastors 

522
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:37,120
who have taken the role of a 
profession. 

523
00:31:38,320 --> 00:31:42,480
This is not a profession. 
This is a calling that begins in

524
00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:46,200
our hearts, and it must have 
began in our hearts, because if 

525
00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:47,400
it. 
Begins in our hearts. 

526
00:31:47,400 --> 00:31:52,840
It's not going anywhere. 
Will always be what drives us. 

527
00:31:55,200 --> 00:32:01,200
For those of you who say. 
Things like, well, I'm thinking 

528
00:32:01,840 --> 00:32:09,000
about ministry. 
I'm tossing it around in my 

529
00:32:09,000 --> 00:32:15,800
mind, you're not yet there. 
Someone who's called by God 

530
00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:22,040
doesn't think about ministry. 
He thinks about nothing but the 

531
00:32:22,040 --> 00:32:24,120
ministry. 
I want you to see the 

532
00:32:24,120 --> 00:32:27,760
difference. 
It is his God called life, 

533
00:32:28,600 --> 00:32:30,920
period. 
We are all lifers if we are 

534
00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,520
really called, you're not called
part of the time. 

535
00:32:35,320 --> 00:32:39,360
He makes it clear that this is 
an exclusive role for men who in

536
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:46,480
their heart seek to be an 
overseer, a role that God put 

537
00:32:46,480 --> 00:32:47,720
there. 
Because I can tell you this, 

538
00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:51,240
there is no way I called myself 
to preach. 

539
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:56,200
Because I tried to go every 
direction that wasn't the 

540
00:32:56,200 --> 00:33:03,480
preaching, but in the very depth
of my being, who I really am. 

541
00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:09,800
God placed the calling and a 
desire in there to follow that 

542
00:33:10,000 --> 00:33:12,960
calling. 
It is His sovereign calling on a

543
00:33:12,960 --> 00:33:16,640
man's life that sets him apart 
for this role, this exclusive 

544
00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:19,120
role. 
Oh, you remember John 1516 while

545
00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:21,160
Jesus was talking to His 
disciples? 

546
00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:26,440
And often times we use this and 
in our Reformed thinking to 

547
00:33:26,440 --> 00:33:29,960
prove that these men didn't 
choose Jesus, but Jesus chose 

548
00:33:29,960 --> 00:33:33,320
them for salvation. 
And that's rightfully so. 

549
00:33:35,040 --> 00:33:37,720
But this also has a double edge 
to the sword. 

550
00:33:38,600 --> 00:33:42,280
When he speaks to them in John 
1516, he's speaking about their 

551
00:33:42,280 --> 00:33:46,000
entire. 
Calling, He says you did not 

552
00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:48,960
choose me, but I chose you and 
appointed you so that you might 

553
00:33:48,960 --> 00:33:52,960
go and bear fruit, fruit that 
will last, and so that whatever 

554
00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:54,640
you ask in my name, the Father 
will give you. 

555
00:33:54,640 --> 00:33:57,720
He sang to his disciples. 
I have called you and I have 

556
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,200
chosen you to go out and to bear
fruit. 

557
00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:05,360
Did these apostles do that? 
Yes, Church history says they 

558
00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:08,120
did. 
We can recount their steps. 

559
00:34:08,120 --> 00:34:12,120
We can see how Christ used them 
in the church as leaders to 

560
00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:16,400
produce a fruit for his name and
for His glory. 

561
00:34:18,159 --> 00:34:21,600
He's saying to us, those of you 
who are in the pastor, those of 

562
00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:28,159
you who are feeling drawn to 
church leadership, he's saying 

563
00:34:28,159 --> 00:34:30,760
this is a calling from God 
sovereignly. 

564
00:34:31,520 --> 00:34:34,600
To your heart before it will 
ever come out of your life. 

565
00:34:34,600 --> 00:34:38,520
I've seen many people who were 
called by their grandmas, called

566
00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:41,280
by their moms, called by their 
dads. 

567
00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:45,280
Oh, but you know what? 
God called man when you see him 

568
00:34:47,400 --> 00:34:49,480
because when he preaches and 
when he leads, it comes from the

569
00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:50,600
depths of his being. 
Why? 

570
00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:52,960
Because that's where his calling
stems from. 

571
00:34:54,239 --> 00:34:56,600
It's his life, it's his passion,
it's his mission. 

572
00:34:59,320 --> 00:35:06,400
It's an exclusive role for those
was called men and God is 

573
00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:09,440
sovereignly selected for His 
work. 

574
00:35:11,240 --> 00:35:14,160
We're drafted into this. 
We didn't volunteer. 

575
00:35:16,480 --> 00:35:18,840
Why is that good news for me? 
Because I can't quit. 

576
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,240
He won't let me. 
Oh, I've tried to quit often in 

577
00:35:23,240 --> 00:35:24,520
my flesh. 
But you know what? 

578
00:35:24,640 --> 00:35:27,640
Who I really AM and the depths 
of my being will never allow me 

579
00:35:27,640 --> 00:35:28,320
to do that. 
Why? 

580
00:35:28,320 --> 00:35:33,080
Because I am in Christ, this 
calling is over my life. 

581
00:35:34,280 --> 00:35:36,840
God has sovereignly set my heart
there. 

582
00:35:37,720 --> 00:35:39,840
Well, if you're a leader in this
church and your heart's not in 

583
00:35:39,840 --> 00:35:43,480
it, Resigned today. 
Your pastor in this church 

584
00:35:43,480 --> 00:35:46,600
today, No harm. 
Come to me and say, hey, my 

585
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:48,560
heart's not in this. 
Because if your heart's not in 

586
00:35:48,560 --> 00:35:51,960
this, you're not called. 
We'll still love you. 

587
00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:53,440
We'll still pray for you. 
We'll still minister to you. 

588
00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:54,880
You'll still have a place in the
church. 

589
00:35:56,040 --> 00:36:01,120
It just won't be in leadership. 
This is from your heart, 

590
00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:06,520
Spurgeon said. 
This about a man's calling to 

591
00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,480
the pastorate. 
He said if you can do anything 

592
00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,280
else, do it. 
Do it. 

593
00:36:13,720 --> 00:36:16,320
One thing that has confirmed my 
inward calling over and over and

594
00:36:16,320 --> 00:36:20,080
over again, I can't do anything 
else. 

595
00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:23,360
I don't mean that I'm not good 
at anything else. 

596
00:36:24,080 --> 00:36:25,360
I could be good at. 
Something else? 

597
00:36:25,360 --> 00:36:26,920
I don't know. 
I've never done anything else, 

598
00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:33,840
but I've been crafted by God in 
the depths of my being to do 

599
00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:39,480
this. 
This is what I will do until He 

600
00:36:39,520 --> 00:36:42,840
calls me home. 
Why? 

601
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:47,320
Because it is from my heart and 
the depths of my being. 

602
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:51,240
He put it there. 
He is not going to take it away.

603
00:36:51,320 --> 00:36:53,680
It begins in a heart. 
It's an exclusive role. 

604
00:36:54,680 --> 00:36:58,720
God's Word always reserves the 
position of pastors exclusively 

605
00:36:59,040 --> 00:37:04,560
to God called men. 
May it be so here. 

606
00:37:05,680 --> 00:37:12,120
Thirdly, those of you who 
normally attend the 9:00 

607
00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:16,760
service, you've already noticed 
I'm in no hurry today. 

608
00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:30,280
Thirdly, it's an excellent role.
This is an excellent role, he 

609
00:37:30,280 --> 00:37:31,760
says. 
Here's a trustworthy saying. 

610
00:37:31,760 --> 00:37:34,760
If anyone sets his heart on 
being an overseer, why is your 

611
00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:36,360
heart set on it? 
Because God called you there. 

612
00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:40,040
If you're a Christian here 
today, He is Lord of your heart.

613
00:37:40,040 --> 00:37:42,320
You have a new heart. 
It's not your old heart anymore.

614
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:46,120
Is that new heart that he's 
placed in you, just as Ezekiel 

615
00:37:46,120 --> 00:37:48,440
said that he would. 
He calls you from the depths of 

616
00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:51,760
that heart. 
He says, here's a trustworthy 

617
00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:53,080
saying. 
If anyone sets his heart on 

618
00:37:53,080 --> 00:37:57,440
being an overseer, he desires a 
noble task. 

619
00:37:58,680 --> 00:38:03,480
Paul calls the task of being a 
pastor and a leader, an elder in

620
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:08,360
the church a noble one. 
I want to think for a second 

621
00:38:08,360 --> 00:38:14,480
that we have been trusted with 
what Paul calls a noble task. 

622
00:38:16,120 --> 00:38:20,360
This is a high. 
Calling men a high calling. 

623
00:38:20,360 --> 00:38:23,200
I want you to understand that, 
as in today's culture, the 

624
00:38:23,200 --> 00:38:25,520
pastor, well, he just gets 
kicked by the wayside, 

625
00:38:25,520 --> 00:38:30,320
especially if he's one who 
stands on truth, if he's one who

626
00:38:30,320 --> 00:38:32,400
stands on the word of God and 
who preaches the gospel 

627
00:38:32,400 --> 00:38:36,440
unashamedly. 
This is a high calling must be 

628
00:38:36,440 --> 00:38:41,280
taken seriously. 
It's an excellent role. 

629
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:44,800
You staff pastors who were here 
this morning, I know that you're

630
00:38:44,800 --> 00:38:46,560
all here. 
Listen to me. 

631
00:38:47,720 --> 00:38:49,040
I know that we have difficult 
days. 

632
00:38:49,040 --> 00:38:51,600
I know that we struggle through 
much adversity. 

633
00:38:52,360 --> 00:38:55,600
I know that you give much time, 
you give much effort. 

634
00:38:56,960 --> 00:38:59,400
You sacrifice yourself and your 
family at times. 

635
00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:04,720
But it's worth it. 
Why? 

636
00:39:06,680 --> 00:39:13,360
Because it's noble, he says. 
This is a noble to ask a high 

637
00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:15,560
calling Martin Lloyd Jones. 
If you're familiar with him, 

638
00:39:15,560 --> 00:39:19,680
you'll know how he said this. 
I can't impersonate him as well 

639
00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:21,920
as others, but he said this. 
He said the work of preaching is

640
00:39:21,920 --> 00:39:24,640
the highest and the greatest and
the most glorious calling to 

641
00:39:24,640 --> 00:39:32,320
which anyone can ever be called.
Again, I don't say that to make 

642
00:39:32,320 --> 00:39:36,920
you think Kirk is someone 
because God called him is if he 

643
00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:40,040
truly calls you from the heart, 
He makes you a no one before he 

644
00:39:40,040 --> 00:39:42,960
ever calls you from the heart so
that you don't forget that. 

645
00:39:45,440 --> 00:39:49,800
But it is the highest and the 
greatest and most glorious 

646
00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:51,880
calling which anyone can ever be
called. 

647
00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:55,800
Therefore it calls for 
seriousness and reverence. 

648
00:39:56,400 --> 00:39:59,200
Man, don't we need this today 
when men are dressing up like 

649
00:39:59,200 --> 00:40:01,840
clowns in the pulpit and riding 
roller coasters and jumping 

650
00:40:01,840 --> 00:40:04,760
through fiery hoops and trying 
to entertain a bunch of goats on

651
00:40:04,760 --> 00:40:12,040
their way to hell? 
We need men who will stand up, 

652
00:40:14,760 --> 00:40:22,720
who will take the word of God 
with seriousness, to stand 

653
00:40:22,720 --> 00:40:29,440
behind this pulpit, not as 
having all the answers, but as 

654
00:40:29,440 --> 00:40:31,480
one who points people to the one
who does. 

655
00:40:34,000 --> 00:40:36,160
It calls for seriousness. 
It calls for reverence. 

656
00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:42,160
From time to time I still get 
asked the question, Kirk, are 

657
00:40:42,160 --> 00:40:46,480
you nervous before you preach? 
My answer always has been the 

658
00:40:46,480 --> 00:40:48,440
same. 
I would think after 30 years it 

659
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,440
would maybe dwindle a little, 
but it's not the case. 

660
00:40:54,400 --> 00:40:55,560
I tell them, no, I'm not 
nervous. 

661
00:40:57,400 --> 00:40:58,960
They look at me and they say, 
oh, that's what we thought. 

662
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:06,080
I tell them I'm scared to death.
I'm scared to death. 

663
00:41:07,160 --> 00:41:10,480
I have such reverence for the 
Word of God and such reverence 

664
00:41:10,560 --> 00:41:12,560
for the God who's spoken his 
word. 

665
00:41:12,920 --> 00:41:15,360
And who's given it to us? 
I don't want to mess it up. 

666
00:41:15,560 --> 00:41:16,880
I don't want to say anything 
wrong. 

667
00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:20,480
I want to make sure that 
everything I say comes directly 

668
00:41:20,480 --> 00:41:24,760
from His word, that it is 
intended exactly how He intended

669
00:41:24,760 --> 00:41:26,840
it when it comes from my lips, 
so that you can hear it 

670
00:41:26,840 --> 00:41:29,280
properly. 
I want to make sure that 

671
00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:31,640
everything's in the right 
context, in the right order. 

672
00:41:35,520 --> 00:41:41,120
I tremble at His word. 
Why? 

673
00:41:41,120 --> 00:41:43,520
Because I don't have room to 
mess this up. 

674
00:41:46,040 --> 00:41:56,440
Isaiah 66 too. 
Isaiah speaks of those who the 

675
00:41:56,440 --> 00:42:02,560
Lord looks at with favor. 
He says in verse 266, These are 

676
00:42:02,560 --> 00:42:06,920
the ones I look on with favor, 
those who are humble and 

677
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:12,440
contrite in spirit and who 
tremble at my word. 

678
00:42:12,440 --> 00:42:15,040
I pray that God would raise up a
group of men from this church 

679
00:42:15,040 --> 00:42:20,000
and around this world who would 
step up to the pulpit, not to 

680
00:42:20,000 --> 00:42:22,240
entertain people, but who would 
step up in the pulpit and 

681
00:42:22,240 --> 00:42:26,680
tremble at the Word of God to 
know that the message that they 

682
00:42:26,680 --> 00:42:32,040
are delivering, it's not just a 
message of life and death, It is

683
00:42:32,040 --> 00:42:34,520
a message of eternal life or 
eternal death. 

684
00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:41,760
We must get it right. 
Oh, the lack of seriousness that

685
00:42:41,760 --> 00:42:46,600
we see in the pulpits, right? 
Those people who think that we 

686
00:42:46,600 --> 00:42:53,240
must begin with a joke, why? 
There's nothing to joke about. 

687
00:42:55,400 --> 00:43:01,400
This is not child's play. 
Your eternity is at stake. 

688
00:43:02,600 --> 00:43:06,360
This must be approached with 
great seriousness and reverence.

689
00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:08,040
Why? 
Because it's a high calling that

690
00:43:08,040 --> 00:43:14,000
demands it demands. 
It calls for seriousness and 

691
00:43:14,000 --> 00:43:15,920
reverence, but it demands 
excellence. 

692
00:43:18,680 --> 00:43:22,680
The staff of this church hears 
anything all the time. 

693
00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:28,600
It is that word excellence. 
You know, that being a hard case

694
00:43:28,600 --> 00:43:32,560
when I tell them time and time 
again, is that excellent? 

695
00:43:34,280 --> 00:43:35,480
Well, no. 
Then why do we do that? 

696
00:43:35,480 --> 00:43:41,880
For the Lord? 
We must strive for excellence. 

697
00:43:42,160 --> 00:43:44,600
Will we miss the mark? 
Most of the time we're involved 

698
00:43:44,600 --> 00:43:47,200
in it. 
But shouldn't our mark be 

699
00:43:47,200 --> 00:43:52,280
excellent? 
Shouldn't our mark be excellent?

700
00:43:53,360 --> 00:43:54,880
Why? 
Because it demands excellence. 

701
00:43:54,880 --> 00:43:57,400
Why if this is really a high? 
Calling in the highest of 

702
00:43:57,400 --> 00:44:02,880
callings, a noble calling, a 
noble task. 

703
00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:05,760
We should approach it with 
excellence. 

704
00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:12,200
You should see it as God's work 
that we have been entrusted 

705
00:44:12,200 --> 00:44:14,600
with. 
Is that not what Paul tells 

706
00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:17,800
Titus and Titus Chapter 7? 
Right, he says, since an 

707
00:44:17,800 --> 00:44:23,280
overseer manages God's 
household, you're managing a 

708
00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:28,160
work of God, so it ought to be 
excellent. 

709
00:44:30,320 --> 00:44:36,240
Isn't it sad that one of the few
places that accept mediocrity in

710
00:44:36,240 --> 00:44:43,400
the world is the church? 
So many pastors and so many 

711
00:44:43,400 --> 00:44:45,720
congregations are OK with their 
pastors just going through the 

712
00:44:45,720 --> 00:44:50,400
motions, just living up the 
status quo. 

713
00:44:53,240 --> 00:44:54,800
I don't want to be status quo in
ministry. 

714
00:44:54,800 --> 00:44:58,360
Why? 
Because it demands excellence. 

715
00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:03,520
Our staff knows this. 
The pastors who lead here at Key

716
00:45:03,520 --> 00:45:04,160
Life. 
Fellowship. 

717
00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:06,560
The elders who lead here at Key 
Life Fellowship, they know this 

718
00:45:06,800 --> 00:45:09,840
excellence that is the mark. 
Why this is the highest of 

719
00:45:09,840 --> 00:45:15,640
calling? 
It's an excellent role and we 

720
00:45:15,680 --> 00:45:18,920
must approach it with excellence
because it's a high calling. 

721
00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:21,600
Not only is it high calling, 
it's a humbling position. 

722
00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:28,240
Far too often this is not the 
approach, right? 

723
00:45:28,320 --> 00:45:32,160
Humility, especially as we see 
all of the social media posts 

724
00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:34,720
from all these mega church 
pastors constantly, right? 

725
00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:39,800
You know, one thing that jumps 
off the page immediately and I 

726
00:45:39,800 --> 00:45:41,680
must think that there's anything
wrong with social media if you 

727
00:45:41,680 --> 00:45:47,600
use it properly. 
But immediately they began to 

728
00:45:47,600 --> 00:45:50,640
promote self. 
The things that they say are 

729
00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:53,160
dripping with pride or 
arrogance, as if they have all 

730
00:45:53,160 --> 00:45:55,000
the answers and everyone else is
just stupid. 

731
00:45:58,240 --> 00:46:03,880
Now, this is a very humbling 
position and just as important 

732
00:46:03,880 --> 00:46:06,640
as approaching it with 
excellence, we have to approach 

733
00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:11,280
it with humility. 
Some of you, I hope, have read 

734
00:46:11,280 --> 00:46:14,560
about John Knox's call to 
preach. 

735
00:46:15,640 --> 00:46:17,960
John Knox. 
If you're not familiar with 

736
00:46:17,960 --> 00:46:24,720
Knox, he was Scottish Reformer 
back in the 1500s, but John Knox

737
00:46:24,720 --> 00:46:28,520
was called to preach at Saint 
Andrew's Church in 1547. 

738
00:46:29,640 --> 00:46:35,520
This was during a period of 
intense religious conflict in 

739
00:46:35,520 --> 00:46:40,720
Scotland and Knox had a duty in 
the church when he was a tutor. 

740
00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:43,200
And the second thing, he was a 
bodyguard. 

741
00:46:43,200 --> 00:46:46,160
He actually carried a double 
handed sword with him to church.

742
00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:47,560
Aren't you thankful for our 
security team? 

743
00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:54,880
John Knox was a bodyguard in the
church and he would protect 

744
00:46:54,880 --> 00:46:59,000
those Protestant families that 
were facing persecution. 

745
00:47:00,240 --> 00:47:02,560
And during a sermon, John Ruff 
was preaching. 

746
00:47:03,680 --> 00:47:05,160
He's addressing the 
congregation. 

747
00:47:05,160 --> 00:47:10,000
And in his sermon, he declared 
that John Knox was called to 

748
00:47:10,000 --> 00:47:11,640
preach. 
I don't know all the back story 

749
00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:13,800
to this, but I'm sure they had 
spent much time together. 

750
00:47:15,280 --> 00:47:19,240
And his pastors often do. 
They identify a calling in young

751
00:47:19,240 --> 00:47:25,520
men far before they identify it.
And he saw this in Knox. 

752
00:47:30,000 --> 00:47:32,120
And so Ralph addressed the 
congregation and declared that 

753
00:47:32,120 --> 00:47:37,080
Knox would be called to preach. 
And Ralph asked the people 

754
00:47:37,080 --> 00:47:39,120
whether they would accept Knox 
as their minister. 

755
00:47:39,200 --> 00:47:41,600
Now, Can you imagine that'd be 
like me today calling 1 of you 

756
00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:42,920
out? 
Hey, God's called you to preach.

757
00:47:42,920 --> 00:47:49,600
Hey church, y'all accept him? 
From a human standpoint, 

758
00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:54,120
wouldn't that have been an honor
for Knox to stand off and push 

759
00:47:54,120 --> 00:48:04,800
his chest out and see, man, John
Ruff has faith in me. 

760
00:48:06,240 --> 00:48:10,520
I must be really something. 
That's not how the story went. 

761
00:48:12,560 --> 00:48:15,480
John Knox was so deeply affected
by this. 

762
00:48:17,200 --> 00:48:22,120
He was so emotionally shaken 
that he wept openly. 

763
00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:25,360
Immediately, he began to weep 
and humility. 

764
00:48:25,360 --> 00:48:29,360
He withdrew from public view, 
out of sight. 

765
00:48:29,520 --> 00:48:33,440
He left and he stayed gone for 
several days. 

766
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:38,560
As history goes, he was 
convinced of the seriousness and

767
00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:40,000
the weight of this 
responsibility. 

768
00:48:41,240 --> 00:48:46,480
It was only after much prayer, 
much reflection, that he then 

769
00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:48,520
returned and he accepted the 
call. 

770
00:48:51,040 --> 00:48:55,960
And then he delivered his first 
sermon shortly after that, which

771
00:48:55,960 --> 00:48:59,200
strongly criticized the Roman 
Catholic teachings and defended 

772
00:48:59,200 --> 00:49:03,840
the Protestant faith. 
This event marks the public 

773
00:49:03,840 --> 00:49:10,280
ministry of John Knox, right? 
No fireworks, No talking about 

774
00:49:10,280 --> 00:49:16,080
how awesome John Knox is. 
No, John Knox just hearing that 

775
00:49:16,080 --> 00:49:19,400
someone else identified the fact
that God had worked in his life 

776
00:49:19,400 --> 00:49:22,520
and John Knox instead of saying 
yeah, I can do that, knew that 

777
00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:28,960
he couldn't and he ran away and 
for days got on his face humbled

778
00:49:28,960 --> 00:49:31,560
by the fact that God would even 
allow. 

779
00:49:31,560 --> 00:49:36,520
Him to do such a thing, Well, 
listen to me, church leaders. 

780
00:49:36,520 --> 00:49:41,280
You know what we need? 
We don't need a bunch of Bani 

781
00:49:41,280 --> 00:49:44,360
Roosters walking around here 
with their chest poked out as if

782
00:49:44,360 --> 00:49:49,600
they're somebody. 
We need humble men who 

783
00:49:49,600 --> 00:49:53,040
understand the high calling that
God has placed on their life. 

784
00:49:53,040 --> 00:49:58,600
And like John Knox, we retreat 
often in tears, seeking the face

785
00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:04,280
of God, the wisdom from God. 
We should be humbled that God 

786
00:50:04,280 --> 00:50:07,400
would allow us. 
To lead his people? 

787
00:50:07,400 --> 00:50:10,320
Oh, see the weight of that? 
See the weight of that? 

788
00:50:10,720 --> 00:50:13,760
When when God calls you to lead 
his people, do you know that you

789
00:50:13,760 --> 00:50:16,720
are included among men like 
Abraham? 

790
00:50:16,800 --> 00:50:22,400
Is that not humbling men like 
Abraham who God used to lead his

791
00:50:22,400 --> 00:50:24,240
people? 
How about men like Moses? 

792
00:50:27,840 --> 00:50:32,960
How about men like Joshua who 
courageously LED God's people 

793
00:50:34,400 --> 00:50:37,280
into the Promised land, 
courageously yet humbly? 

794
00:50:39,320 --> 00:50:42,040
How about David about the 
prophets? 

795
00:50:43,240 --> 00:50:45,240
How about the apostles? 
How about the pastors and 

796
00:50:45,240 --> 00:50:46,840
teachers throughout church 
history? 

797
00:50:48,760 --> 00:50:51,680
Oh, it ought to humble you. 
God called men in this church. 

798
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:54,160
It ought to humble you. 
To think that you've been 

799
00:50:54,160 --> 00:51:01,800
counted among such men of God. 
You got to see how excellent 

800
00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:06,840
this role is. 
Those of you who are in this 

801
00:51:06,840 --> 00:51:12,680
role who because of a calling in
your heart or aspiring to be in 

802
00:51:12,680 --> 00:51:17,120
this role, see how excellent it 
is. 

803
00:51:18,600 --> 00:51:20,800
See that it is a high calling 
and let it bring you to a place 

804
00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:28,760
of humility. 
Fourthly, I want you to listen 

805
00:51:28,760 --> 00:51:34,160
to this one because this is an 
epidemic in the church or lack 

806
00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:39,280
of this. 
The role of the church leaders, 

807
00:51:39,280 --> 00:51:41,080
their calling is an essential 
role. 

808
00:51:41,080 --> 00:51:46,720
It is an exclusive role. 
It is an excellent role, but it 

809
00:51:46,720 --> 00:51:51,800
is an effortful role, an 
effortful role. 

810
00:51:53,000 --> 00:51:55,680
Don't leave out this most 
important word that he says 

811
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:57,080
here. 
Here's a trustworthy saying. 

812
00:51:57,080 --> 00:52:00,560
If anyone sets his heart on 
being an overseer, he desires 

813
00:52:00,760 --> 00:52:05,040
noble task. 
Oh, focus on that last word, 

814
00:52:05,040 --> 00:52:06,920
some of your translation state 
work. 

815
00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:14,560
That is exactly what it is. 
I often wonder how can these 

816
00:52:14,560 --> 00:52:17,880
so-called pastors play G2 or 
three times a week? 

817
00:52:21,880 --> 00:52:25,000
How can they fish or hunt two or
three times a week? 

818
00:52:26,200 --> 00:52:28,640
How can they be away from their 
study when they need to be 

819
00:52:29,200 --> 00:52:32,240
diving into the Word of God to 
feed their flock constantly? 

820
00:52:33,040 --> 00:52:35,160
How can they go on so many 
vacations? 

821
00:52:35,280 --> 00:52:38,400
How could they ever go on a 
sabbatical? 

822
00:52:44,940 --> 00:52:47,420
It's a task. 
It's work. 

823
00:52:48,780 --> 00:52:50,180
He calls it a task. 
He calls. 

824
00:52:50,180 --> 00:52:52,140
It work because that is what it 
is. 

825
00:52:52,140 --> 00:52:56,940
That is exactly what it is. 
It is lifelong, grueling work. 

826
00:52:59,540 --> 00:53:02,420
And shame on all these pastors 
who've made us some glorious 

827
00:53:02,420 --> 00:53:05,100
position in the church that 
people want to just notice. 

828
00:53:06,680 --> 00:53:10,120
No, it is grueling and hard 
lifelong work. 

829
00:53:10,280 --> 00:53:15,400
You will pour out your life to 
this work or you're not called. 

830
00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:19,120
Stop pretending, stop fooling 
yourself, and stop trying to 

831
00:53:19,120 --> 00:53:23,960
fool everyone else. 
God call man. 

832
00:53:23,960 --> 00:53:25,600
We'll get up before the sun 
rises. 

833
00:53:27,760 --> 00:53:30,120
He will begin focusing on what 
it is that the Lord would have 

834
00:53:30,120 --> 00:53:32,520
for him as he leads his 
congregation that day. 

835
00:53:34,000 --> 00:53:36,960
And he would go to bed that 
night praying to God, thanking 

836
00:53:36,960 --> 00:53:39,800
him that he gave him the energy 
to get through that work that he

837
00:53:39,800 --> 00:53:42,680
got through the day, and asking 
for the rest that he needs to. 

838
00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:43,840
Approach. 
The next day. 

839
00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:47,480
Why? 
Because he understands the 

840
00:53:47,480 --> 00:53:51,320
nature of the work. 
It's not a job like a career, 

841
00:53:52,920 --> 00:53:56,240
it's your life. 
People from time to time they 

842
00:53:56,240 --> 00:53:59,240
ask me, what kind of hours do 
you work? 

843
00:54:00,440 --> 00:54:06,360
24, 24? 
Yeah. 

844
00:54:06,360 --> 00:54:09,120
Well, Pastor, I know that you 
went on vacation last year. 

845
00:54:09,120 --> 00:54:10,240
You know what? 
I did my whole vacation. 

846
00:54:10,240 --> 00:54:13,120
I still worked. 
I still got the calls. 

847
00:54:13,120 --> 00:54:15,640
I still got the emails. 
I still got the prayer request. 

848
00:54:16,280 --> 00:54:18,320
I still was thinking about the 
next time that I would get in 

849
00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:19,800
the pulpit to deliver the word 
of God. 

850
00:54:19,960 --> 00:54:23,000
There's no day off. 
And if you're not fit for not 

851
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:29,200
taking a day off, don't get into
the ministry, period, he said. 

852
00:54:29,200 --> 00:54:32,520
Well, Kirk? 
If you keep going like that, you

853
00:54:32,520 --> 00:54:34,920
are going to die an early death.
There is no such thing as an 

854
00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:36,880
early death, as no one taught 
you about the sovereignty of 

855
00:54:36,880 --> 00:54:41,600
God. 
I have an appointment with 

856
00:54:41,600 --> 00:54:46,880
death, and what greater joy than
to pour my entire life out and 

857
00:54:46,880 --> 00:54:51,440
to die serving the One who died 
for me, only to leave this world

858
00:54:51,440 --> 00:54:54,680
and to look Him eye to eye and 
to thank Him for all the 

859
00:54:54,680 --> 00:54:57,720
strength and all of the 
encouragement that He gave me 

860
00:54:57,720 --> 00:55:00,520
along the way, that I might 
glorify Him with every fiber of 

861
00:55:00,520 --> 00:55:08,540
my being. 
It's demanding. 

862
00:55:09,980 --> 00:55:12,420
There's no room for laziness. 
I'm sick of lazy ministers. 

863
00:55:12,420 --> 00:55:19,480
We see them everywhere. 
This work requires great 

864
00:55:19,480 --> 00:55:23,440
diligence and effort. 
You'll not run out of things to 

865
00:55:23,440 --> 00:55:27,280
do, ever. 
Just when you think you're 

866
00:55:27,280 --> 00:55:29,120
running out of things to do, 
there's going to be something 

867
00:55:29,120 --> 00:55:31,720
else that needs to be done. 
Get with it. 

868
00:55:33,120 --> 00:55:34,600
You only have a limited amount 
of time. 

869
00:55:34,680 --> 00:55:37,680
You're never going to catch up. 
You can rest when you get home, 

870
00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:41,080
well, faster. 
Are you going to retire? 

871
00:55:41,080 --> 00:55:43,880
I sure am. 
I'm going to retire in the arms 

872
00:55:43,880 --> 00:55:50,840
of Jesus and I pray that on that
day I hear well done thy good 

873
00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:58,520
and faithful servant. 
I sure hope I don't hear Kirk 

874
00:55:58,520 --> 00:56:07,000
Hall. 
You were lazy, slothful, what 

875
00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:12,520
you did leading my people. 
Oh, may we all who have been 

876
00:56:12,520 --> 00:56:15,520
called by God here, Well done, 
good and faithful servant. 

877
00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,400
And we have churches full of 
weak believers because we have 

878
00:56:20,400 --> 00:56:23,720
pulpits full of weak, lazy 
pastors. 

879
00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:28,800
It's true, if we believe the 
first part of this sermon, that 

880
00:56:28,800 --> 00:56:31,160
this is an essential role that 
God ordains so that the church 

881
00:56:31,160 --> 00:56:33,120
can be strengthened. 
And we look at the church and 

882
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:35,680
the church is not strong. 
Why is the church not strong? 

883
00:56:35,680 --> 00:56:37,120
Because the pastors are weak and
lazy. 

884
00:56:44,620 --> 00:56:48,220
We have no room for it. 
It's demanding. 

885
00:56:48,220 --> 00:56:53,640
It demands your time, all of it.
It demands your effort, all of 

886
00:56:53,640 --> 00:56:56,160
it. 
It demands your energy. 

887
00:56:56,160 --> 00:57:01,920
All of it. 
If you can't give all of you to 

888
00:57:01,920 --> 00:57:03,400
the ministry, get. 
Out. 

889
00:57:04,720 --> 00:57:07,840
Get out again. 
No hard feelings. 

890
00:57:07,840 --> 00:57:10,360
We're going to hug your neck. 
We're going to pray for you. 

891
00:57:10,360 --> 00:57:12,400
We're going to thank God that 
you're not trying to put a 

892
00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:14,000
square peg in a round hole 
anymore. 

893
00:57:16,200 --> 00:57:22,080
We'll help you find new jobs. 
But don't be a detriment to the 

894
00:57:22,080 --> 00:57:24,880
church because of your lazy work
ethic. 

895
00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:30,040
The spiritual well-being of 
everyone who sits in this room 

896
00:57:30,040 --> 00:57:32,560
right now, and those who are not
attending here today who belong 

897
00:57:32,560 --> 00:57:35,640
to this church, their spiritual 
well-being is dependent upon 

898
00:57:35,640 --> 00:57:40,880
you. 
God forbid that we settle for 

899
00:57:40,880 --> 00:57:44,320
producing lazy disciples just 
because we're lazy ministers. 

900
00:57:45,800 --> 00:57:47,680
Pour out your life as an 
offering to the Lord. 

901
00:57:47,680 --> 00:57:50,720
Just as Paul said that he was 
doing there in Philippians 

902
00:57:50,720 --> 00:57:55,960
chapter 2 verse 17, where he 
said even now he's being poured 

903
00:57:55,960 --> 00:57:59,600
out like a drink offering on the
sacrifice and service coming 

904
00:57:59,600 --> 00:58:02,760
from their faith. 
He poured his life out as an 

905
00:58:02,760 --> 00:58:04,640
offering to Christ. 
Why? 

906
00:58:05,760 --> 00:58:09,640
Because he really understood 
that Christ poured his life out 

907
00:58:09,640 --> 00:58:13,160
as an offering for him. 
Shouldn't that be? 

908
00:58:13,160 --> 00:58:16,360
And isn't that the proper 
response for all of us, but 

909
00:58:16,360 --> 00:58:18,640
especially for those of us that 
are in leadership? 

910
00:58:19,240 --> 00:58:23,200
Because if we don't. 
Pour our lives out and God has 

911
00:58:23,200 --> 00:58:26,560
ordained us to lead His people. 
We can't expect His. 

912
00:58:26,560 --> 00:58:29,400
People to pour their lives out. 
Either can we. 

913
00:58:31,880 --> 00:58:37,920
This is an effortful role, 
demanding, but also difficult. 

914
00:58:40,040 --> 00:58:42,080
For all of you guys 
contemplating going into full 

915
00:58:42,080 --> 00:58:44,160
time ministry or leadership in 
the church, let me just tell you

916
00:58:44,160 --> 00:58:50,040
this, This is the most difficult
thing that a human being can 

917
00:58:50,040 --> 00:58:52,640
ever do. 
It's not an easy job. 

918
00:58:54,080 --> 00:59:00,040
It's not an easy life, right? 
Normal people, they get to have 

919
00:59:00,040 --> 00:59:06,840
birthdays, anniversaries, kids, 
birthdays, family members 

920
00:59:06,960 --> 00:59:10,480
birthdays, not those called by 
God. 

921
00:59:10,480 --> 00:59:11,760
Guess what? 
They missed those things. 

922
00:59:12,360 --> 00:59:14,160
Why? 
Because the family needed you. 

923
00:59:15,280 --> 00:59:18,920
Someone had passed away and you 
had a funeral that day or a 

924
00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:24,720
joyous occasion. 
Even to young people who God put

925
00:59:24,720 --> 00:59:27,080
together and God ordained to 
make a covenant to helm and to 

926
00:59:27,080 --> 00:59:28,440
be married for their whole life.
Guess what? 

927
00:59:28,440 --> 00:59:32,440
Their weddings that weekend. 
But, but, but it's my birthday, 

928
00:59:32,440 --> 00:59:33,560
honey. 
I know it's your birthday, 

929
00:59:33,560 --> 00:59:38,080
honey, but it's not about us. 
It's about them. 

930
00:59:38,720 --> 00:59:41,040
We'll we'll celebrate your 
birthday another day. 

931
00:59:42,480 --> 00:59:45,120
It's about total and complete 
sacrifice. 

932
00:59:45,120 --> 00:59:47,840
It's about you doing what others
are unwilling to do. 

933
00:59:49,440 --> 00:59:52,600
It's not an easy job, sure. 
Not an easy life. 

934
00:59:55,040 --> 00:59:58,520
I say all that to say this. 
I love every second of it. 

935
01:00:00,720 --> 01:00:04,040
But every second of it depends 
on the Lord's strength and the 

936
01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:07,160
Lord's energy in and through me 
to get it done. 

937
01:00:09,480 --> 01:00:13,080
That's who Paul depended on. 
Colossus, chapter one, verse 28.

938
01:00:13,080 --> 01:00:15,320
He says he is the one we 
proclaim talking of Christ, 

939
01:00:15,320 --> 01:00:17,600
admonishing and teaching 
everyone with all wisdom so that

940
01:00:17,600 --> 01:00:20,160
we may present everyone fully 
mature in Christ. 

941
01:00:20,520 --> 01:00:25,760
To this end, I strenuously, 
strenuously contend with all the

942
01:00:25,840 --> 01:00:27,640
energy. 
Christ. 

943
01:00:28,080 --> 01:00:32,560
So powerfully works in me. 
This is where most so-called 

944
01:00:32,560 --> 01:00:35,680
pastors and leaders fell. 
They are trying to do this thing

945
01:00:35,840 --> 01:00:38,400
on their own. 
Paul understood and he gives us 

946
01:00:38,400 --> 01:00:41,200
great insight here. 
Energy that Christ gives us. 

947
01:00:43,560 --> 01:00:46,040
Most people quit because they 
were never called. 

948
01:00:47,320 --> 01:00:52,520
I believe that. 
But some who were called quit 

949
01:00:54,280 --> 01:00:57,840
because they start depending 
upon themselves and their own 

950
01:00:57,840 --> 01:01:00,240
strength and their own energy. 
You know what? 

951
01:01:01,200 --> 01:01:03,120
We only have so much strength 
and so much energy. 

952
01:01:04,280 --> 01:01:07,320
However, the strength of an 
almighty sovereign God is 

953
01:01:07,400 --> 01:01:10,080
endless. 
Paul understood that. 

954
01:01:10,240 --> 01:01:12,680
That's why Paul could suffer 
with such grace. 

955
01:01:12,800 --> 01:01:15,080
That's why Paul could still 
minister to people while he was 

956
01:01:15,080 --> 01:01:17,360
in chains. 
That's why Paul effects even 

957
01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:20,160
those. 
Of us 2000 years down the way by

958
01:01:20,160 --> 01:01:23,240
his teaching. 
Why? 

959
01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:26,720
Because he didn't depend on his 
strength, it depended upon the 

960
01:01:26,720 --> 01:01:27,920
strength that comes from God. 
Why? 

961
01:01:27,920 --> 01:01:29,400
Because this is a difficult 
task. 

962
01:01:29,400 --> 01:01:31,600
You can't do it in your own 
human strength. 

963
01:01:33,120 --> 01:01:34,400
You have to work to stay in the 
fight. 

964
01:01:34,400 --> 01:01:37,000
And to stay in the fight you 
have to trust the Lord's 

965
01:01:37,080 --> 01:01:39,960
strength. 
Not an easy button. 

966
01:01:39,960 --> 01:01:42,240
Now, you remember those 
commercials with the easy 

967
01:01:42,240 --> 01:01:43,720
button? 
I think it was Staples or one of

968
01:01:43,720 --> 01:01:47,400
those office supplies. 
There's no ministry easy button.

969
01:01:47,400 --> 01:01:48,840
I promise you. 
You look all over the church 

970
01:01:48,840 --> 01:01:49,880
office. 
You can look over the building. 

971
01:01:49,880 --> 01:01:55,680
You won't find an easy button. 
You know where you better find 

972
01:01:55,680 --> 01:01:59,280
yourself as a minister of the 
gospel, not looking for a button

973
01:01:59,280 --> 01:02:02,640
to push, but on your knees, 
trusting in the strength that 

974
01:02:02,640 --> 01:02:04,280
Christ provides. 
So that's the only what place 

975
01:02:04,280 --> 01:02:09,880
that you're going to find it. 
Oh, don't drop out of ministry. 

976
01:02:12,440 --> 01:02:17,280
Don't quit because someone 
didn't tell you. 

977
01:02:17,280 --> 01:02:18,480
It's difficult. 
It's difficult. 

978
01:02:19,360 --> 01:02:24,600
Prepare yourself for it. 
Prepare yourself for a difficult

979
01:02:25,040 --> 01:02:27,480
life. 
The critics are going to hammer 

980
01:02:27,480 --> 01:02:31,000
you. 
The job is going to place 

981
01:02:31,000 --> 01:02:34,200
demands upon you that you 
couldn't do on your own. 

982
01:02:38,280 --> 01:02:41,280
You're going to suffer. 
You're going to be ridiculed. 

983
01:02:43,680 --> 01:02:48,640
But don't forget it's a noble 
work and work at it with all of 

984
01:02:48,640 --> 01:02:52,080
your heart as unto the Lord, 
because that's what it comes 

985
01:02:52,080 --> 01:02:55,280
down to, right? 
Who are you doing this for? 

986
01:02:57,120 --> 01:03:00,840
I can tell you right now, I 
wouldn't do this for anyone but 

987
01:03:00,840 --> 01:03:04,840
Christ because it is the most 
difficult thing that a human 

988
01:03:04,840 --> 01:03:09,400
being could do upon this earth. 
Note to self, you've never seen 

989
01:03:09,400 --> 01:03:17,120
it on episode of Dirty Jobs, but
it's difficult and it's hard 

990
01:03:17,120 --> 01:03:20,560
work and you have to prepare 
yourself for that. 

991
01:03:21,560 --> 01:03:26,800
Why would we think that the same
work of the gospel that cost 

992
01:03:26,840 --> 01:03:32,040
Jesus his life and most of the 
apostles, their lives and many 

993
01:03:32,040 --> 01:03:36,880
church leaders throughout 
history their lives would cost 

994
01:03:36,880 --> 01:03:42,760
us nothing? 
That is utter foolishness. 

995
01:03:44,720 --> 01:03:46,360
That is what's wrong with the 
American church. 

996
01:03:46,360 --> 01:03:47,960
No one is teaching young 
ministers. 

997
01:03:47,960 --> 01:03:51,720
It cost us everything. 
Just as it cost Christ 

998
01:03:51,800 --> 01:03:54,760
everything, and just as it cost 
the apostles everything, and 

999
01:03:54,760 --> 01:03:58,320
just as it cost the church 
fathers everything, it cost us 

1000
01:03:58,600 --> 01:04:05,600
everything. 
But it's the greatest thing to 

1001
01:04:05,600 --> 01:04:10,400
know that I can give everything 
for the Christ who gave 

1002
01:04:10,400 --> 01:04:14,760
everything for me. 
John Calvin said, let those who 

1003
01:04:14,760 --> 01:04:17,880
undertake the office of teaching
remember that they are called 

1004
01:04:17,880 --> 01:04:23,320
not to a place of honor, but to 
labor and hardship. 

1005
01:04:24,840 --> 01:04:31,920
This is not a place of honor, a 
place of Labor and of hardship. 

1006
01:04:34,360 --> 01:04:38,160
If you're not willing to give 
full effort, you're not willing 

1007
01:04:38,160 --> 01:04:41,880
to devote yourself to this noble
task, do something else. 

1008
01:04:43,200 --> 01:04:45,800
Find a job. 
Be a greeter at Walmart. 

1009
01:04:47,000 --> 01:04:51,200
Whatever you find yourself to 
do, do it other than ministry. 

1010
01:04:53,600 --> 01:04:58,280
Because when we approach it with
no effort, we insult Christ. 

1011
01:04:59,680 --> 01:05:02,280
We insult the apostles who gave 
their life for Christ. 

1012
01:05:03,480 --> 01:05:07,200
We insult all God called men 
throughout history who gave it 

1013
01:05:07,200 --> 01:05:10,840
all for him. 
Lose the American church idea 

1014
01:05:10,840 --> 01:05:15,480
that this is just another 
profession and give all your 

1015
01:05:15,480 --> 01:05:18,480
effort to it. 
Give all your effort to it. 

1016
01:05:19,160 --> 01:05:21,040
Understand this. 
You don't clock in and you don't

1017
01:05:21,040 --> 01:05:26,600
clock out when you go home. 
You're not any less responsible 

1018
01:05:26,600 --> 01:05:28,720
for the souls that we've 
addressed here today. 

1019
01:05:31,360 --> 01:05:36,440
See it for what it is. 
But we've looked at the role of 

1020
01:05:36,440 --> 01:05:42,320
the church leaders and they're 
calling and Part 1 today, Part 2

1021
01:05:42,320 --> 01:05:45,360
next week. 
What do we do with it? 

1022
01:05:46,560 --> 01:05:49,280
Well, for the believers who were
here, who you've said, well, I 

1023
01:05:49,280 --> 01:05:53,400
really don't, I really don't 
have a response to this message.

1024
01:05:53,400 --> 01:05:54,360
Let me help you. 
Yes, you do. 

1025
01:05:56,400 --> 01:05:57,800
Please hear your response to 
this message. 

1026
01:05:57,840 --> 01:06:01,720
Honor those who do their work. 
Well, that's what First Timothy 

1027
01:06:01,720 --> 01:06:07,040
chapter 5, verse 17 tells us to 
do to honor those men who are 

1028
01:06:07,040 --> 01:06:10,080
leading us. 
To honor them, encourage them. 

1029
01:06:11,800 --> 01:06:16,600
Don't make their lives more 
strenuous than it has to be. 

1030
01:06:16,600 --> 01:06:18,600
Don't make them pull out all of 
their hair. 

1031
01:06:18,600 --> 01:06:20,320
They've already turned. 
Gray because of you. 

1032
01:06:20,320 --> 01:06:24,400
Don't make them pull it out. 
Honor them. 

1033
01:06:24,400 --> 01:06:25,840
That's what you can do as a 
church member. 

1034
01:06:27,000 --> 01:06:28,920
When you see the pastors, and 
I'm not talking about just 

1035
01:06:28,920 --> 01:06:31,400
myself, I am one of many pastors
here, Please understand that 

1036
01:06:35,520 --> 01:06:37,640
when you see them doing the work
well, let them know. 

1037
01:06:38,920 --> 01:06:40,200
Let them know that they taught 
you something. 

1038
01:06:40,200 --> 01:06:41,880
Let them know that they said 
something worthwhile. 

1039
01:06:41,880 --> 01:06:44,600
Let them know that they have 
encouraged you, brought you to 

1040
01:06:44,600 --> 01:06:46,600
even a place of conviction, and 
you're thankful for that. 

1041
01:06:48,360 --> 01:06:51,000
Secondly, as we saw in Hebrews 
chapter 13, submit to them 

1042
01:06:51,000 --> 01:06:55,240
willingly. 
They're not trying to Lord over 

1043
01:06:55,240 --> 01:06:58,440
you, but the Lord has placed 
them over you. 

1044
01:06:59,840 --> 01:07:02,360
See that? 
See the benefit of it, Submit to

1045
01:07:02,360 --> 01:07:03,880
that. 
Don't again make their life 

1046
01:07:03,880 --> 01:07:06,360
miserable by thinking that they 
have to constantly fight against

1047
01:07:06,360 --> 01:07:07,640
you so that you'll follow the 
Lord. 

1048
01:07:08,040 --> 01:07:09,480
You know what I love about this 
congregation? 

1049
01:07:09,480 --> 01:07:10,960
For the most part, we don't have
to do that. 

1050
01:07:10,960 --> 01:07:14,880
You've been taught well. 
I give you an opportunity to 

1051
01:07:14,880 --> 01:07:16,880
serve the Lord and you've grown 
enough through learning the 

1052
01:07:16,880 --> 01:07:18,720
scriptures and being taught the 
scripture and being discipled. 

1053
01:07:18,720 --> 01:07:20,160
You know what you do? 
There's an opportunity to serve 

1054
01:07:20,160 --> 01:07:21,160
the Lord. 
You jump up and serve Him. 

1055
01:07:22,480 --> 01:07:29,640
I'm thankful for that. 
Thirdly and lastly for you or 

1056
01:07:29,640 --> 01:07:33,800
thirdly and 2nd to the lastly, 
respect your leaders. 

1057
01:07:36,200 --> 01:07:40,200
First Thessalonians chapter 5, 
it talks about this in verse 12.

1058
01:07:40,200 --> 01:07:42,640
It says now we ask you brothers 
and sisters to acknowledge those

1059
01:07:42,640 --> 01:07:46,800
who work hard among you, who 
take care of you in the Lord and

1060
01:07:46,800 --> 01:07:50,080
who admonish you hold them in 
the highest regard in love 

1061
01:07:50,080 --> 01:07:53,040
because of their work. 
He says live in peace with each 

1062
01:07:53,040 --> 01:07:54,920
other. 
Don't get mad at your pastor 

1063
01:07:54,920 --> 01:07:57,080
just because he has to deliver 
something that you don't like. 

1064
01:07:58,360 --> 01:08:01,200
Live in peace with him. 
He's just the messenger. 

1065
01:08:02,800 --> 01:08:06,680
See for what it is. 
From time to time at the end of 

1066
01:08:06,680 --> 01:08:09,760
the service, people will say 
things like this boy, you were 

1067
01:08:09,760 --> 01:08:13,240
stepping on my toes. 
My response is always the same. 

1068
01:08:13,240 --> 01:08:17,800
I was aiming for your heart. 
Get your feet out of the way. 

1069
01:08:20,520 --> 01:08:22,200
Let the Word of God hit you 
where the Word of God is 

1070
01:08:22,200 --> 01:08:23,680
intended to hit you right there 
in the heart. 

1071
01:08:24,840 --> 01:08:28,040
So it's going to change you. 
You want to blame someone, blame

1072
01:08:28,040 --> 01:08:30,920
God and then try to bring an 
accusation against Him. 

1073
01:08:30,920 --> 01:08:34,200
See how that works out for you. 
It won't. 

1074
01:08:34,800 --> 01:08:36,120
It'll save you some heartache 
and some time. 

1075
01:08:36,399 --> 01:08:38,479
And lastly, believers, pray for 
them. 

1076
01:08:38,479 --> 01:08:44,359
Pray for us, pray for us. 
Colossians 4, Three, we see 

1077
01:08:44,359 --> 01:08:47,760
instructions to pray for leaders
and other believers. 

1078
01:08:48,120 --> 01:08:50,880
First Thessalonians 525, we see 
the same thing, Paul calling on 

1079
01:08:50,880 --> 01:08:53,080
believers to pray for those who 
are leading in ministry. 

1080
01:08:53,080 --> 01:08:57,160
Do that to the elders, the 
pastors, the overseers who are 

1081
01:08:57,160 --> 01:09:05,160
here today are those who God is 
calling a make all serve the 

1082
01:09:05,160 --> 01:09:07,080
church in the capacity that we 
looked at today. 

1083
01:09:08,680 --> 01:09:12,880
If you can't, don't, you'll 
never make it. 

1084
01:09:13,800 --> 01:09:17,120
You'll never last. 
Take this calling in this work 

1085
01:09:18,080 --> 01:09:21,760
seriously. 
Approach it with great reverence

1086
01:09:21,880 --> 01:09:25,760
and humility to the unbeliever 
who may be here today. 

1087
01:09:27,560 --> 01:09:29,960
Perhaps you've been here week 
after week after week and you've

1088
01:09:29,960 --> 01:09:34,680
heard the gospel presented. 
God has used that to show you 

1089
01:09:36,000 --> 01:09:38,399
your desperate need for Christ, 
that you are a Sinner and you 

1090
01:09:38,399 --> 01:09:41,840
are alienated from a holy God. 
And perhaps this is the day that

1091
01:09:41,840 --> 01:09:45,319
God has ordained to usher you 
out of darkness and into light 

1092
01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:49,359
His marvelous life. 
Perceive forgiveness of sin and 

1093
01:09:49,359 --> 01:09:51,040
eternal life. 
Perhaps you would like to talk 

1094
01:09:51,040 --> 01:09:53,479
with somebody about that. 
In just a moment, in our time of

1095
01:09:53,479 --> 01:09:56,160
prayer, there are going to be 
some people to my right and to 

1096
01:09:56,160 --> 01:09:57,600
my left who will be standing 
here. 

1097
01:09:59,360 --> 01:10:01,440
Perhaps you want to know more 
about what it means to know 

1098
01:10:01,440 --> 01:10:03,680
Christ as Lord and Savior. 
Just go tell one of them. 

1099
01:10:04,520 --> 01:10:06,400
They will take the Word of God 
and they will open it up and 

1100
01:10:06,400 --> 01:10:09,840
they will show you how a person 
can be born again this very day,

1101
01:10:10,720 --> 01:10:13,800
what it means to truly be saved 
biblically. 

1102
01:10:15,480 --> 01:10:18,480
Repent. 
Trust in Jesus Christ as your 

1103
01:10:18,480 --> 01:10:23,120
Lord and Savior this very day. 
You've been listening to Key 

1104
01:10:23,120 --> 01:10:25,880
Life Fellowships Pulpit Ministry
podcast. 

1105
01:10:26,280 --> 01:10:29,400
Join us each week for more 
teaching from God's Word.