1 00:00:07,760 --> 00:00:09,840 Colossians chapter 2. Please open there. 2 00:00:23,550 --> 00:00:26,510 Excuse me. We each need someone. 3 00:00:28,110 --> 00:00:31,590 We sheep. Sheep don't do good on their 4 00:00:31,590 --> 00:00:34,590 own. And I ask someone as Jesus 5 00:00:34,590 --> 00:00:37,230 Christ, he's the saviour of the world. 6 00:00:39,190 --> 00:00:42,160 But we also need the church. That's why you're here today. 7 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:46,000 You're a unique group. You're sitting here today, those 8 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:49,840 of you that know Christ and you're you're unique in the 9 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:54,640 world. Think about pre the flood, how 10 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,120 many billions of people there were and there were billions of 11 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:03,200 people living prior to the flood and only 8 souls were saved out 12 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:05,640 of that. While we live in a world now of 13 00:01:05,960 --> 00:01:10,720 eight point something billion people and somehow God has 14 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:15,120 called you and you sit here in church today and it's had 15 00:01:15,120 --> 00:01:20,040 nothing to do with you. It's been the grace of God has 16 00:01:20,040 --> 00:01:23,240 called you. You're unique and he's put you 17 00:01:23,240 --> 00:01:29,320 in a place and this place is the body of Christ, the church and 18 00:01:29,320 --> 00:01:32,720 Jesus set up this living Organism of believers. 19 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:37,480 Excuse me again, only happens when soon as you get up 20 00:01:39,680 --> 00:01:45,880 something grabbed you by the throat and God has given each 21 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:52,600 one of you at least one gift and as part of Christchurch, that 22 00:01:52,600 --> 00:01:57,640 one gift that you all have. I don't care how old you are, 6 23 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:04,000 or 70, you bring that gift to be a blessing to those seated 24 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,400 around you. When Christ ascended into 25 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:14,560 heaven, he left his apostles to guide the church, to feed the 26 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:19,080 church, and the apostles explained how the church was to 27 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:24,400 operate for our blessing. We need to know that how it's to 28 00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:29,760 work, even naming the machinery, the mechanisms, the strategic 29 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:32,560 structure. In Ephesians chapter 4, verse 30 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:38,440 11, Paul wrote and he himself gave some to be apostles, some 31 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:42,600 prophets, some evangelists, some pastors and teachers. 32 00:02:43,000 --> 00:02:45,560 Why For the equipping of the Saints. 33 00:02:45,560 --> 00:02:47,680 Why? Why equip the Saints for the 34 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:49,840 work of the ministry? So you have a job to do as a 35 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:51,600 Christian. You're to serve. 36 00:02:53,520 --> 00:02:57,400 How are you to serve for the edifying of the body of Christ? 37 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:00,520 You're to serve in some way that benefits everybody else in the 38 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:04,560 church till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the 39 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,960 knowledge of the Son of God to be a perfect man. 40 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,560 That means a mature man to the measure of the stature of the 41 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,520 fullness of Christ. Then it goes on to say that we, 42 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,680 you and I, should no longer be children. 43 00:03:18,680 --> 00:03:21,840 When you grow up, when you, when Christians get saved and they 44 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:24,360 begin to serve in the church, they grow up. 45 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:26,640 Now you don't have to be 18 to grow up. 46 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:30,760 We have people serving in the church here of of young ages 47 00:03:31,640 --> 00:03:35,720 1011 and so they sit in the media room and they operate 48 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:37,600 things like that. They help us in the Sunday 49 00:03:37,600 --> 00:03:42,080 school. So it's not an age thing, but 50 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,320 we're to be mature now and not not behave like people in the 51 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:49,280 world who live purely for themselves. 52 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:54,000 So I'm to grow up, stop living for myself, and now to start 53 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:59,240 living for everyone else in the body of Christ, to no longer be 54 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:03,000 tossed to and fro either, carried about with every wind of 55 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:06,680 doctrine. I need to know what I believe 56 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,880 each and everyone of you. You should have family Bible 57 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:11,480 studies. You should have home nights. 58 00:04:12,000 --> 00:04:13,600 Couples should read the Bible together. 59 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:16,320 You should study the Bible together, study yourself. 60 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,519 Besides coming out to church and all the messages and services 61 00:04:19,519 --> 00:04:22,160 that we provide. That we should no longer be 62 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:25,360 children, tossed to and fro, carried about with every wind of 63 00:04:25,360 --> 00:04:30,320 doctrine by the trickery of men and the cunning craftiness of 64 00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:34,080 the deceitful plotting, but speaking the truth in love, that 65 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:37,160 we may grow up in all things under Him who is the Head, 66 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,280 Christ. He's the head of the Church from 67 00:04:40,280 --> 00:04:44,400 whom the whole body, the church joined and nipped together by 68 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:47,920 what every joint supplies. So that's whatever part that you 69 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:49,920 ought to do. Some were ushering this morning, 70 00:04:50,120 --> 00:04:53,160 some clean the church, some after will clean the church. 71 00:04:53,280 --> 00:04:56,160 Some will serve coffee, some serve communion. 72 00:04:56,560 --> 00:04:58,360 Each one of us, we had worship team. 73 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:04,240 We each have a task to do that every joint supplies according 74 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:07,080 to the effect of that's how a church works, effectively 75 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,400 working by which every part does its share. 76 00:05:10,840 --> 00:05:13,320 You've got to ask yourself, are you doing your bit? 77 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:18,040 If your big toe decided I'm not going to, I'm not participating 78 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:22,240 today, or one eye said I'm not working for you today, or your 79 00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:24,200 voice just said I'm not speaking today. 80 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:26,960 You're you're, you're shot without it. 81 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:31,680 So each one of you, you, you and I, we've got to put on our as I 82 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,560 say, be a big boy pants and go, what am I doing? 83 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:36,800 What's my task? I don't care if you're you're 84 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:40,680 1011 or 80. We each have a task. 85 00:05:40,680 --> 00:05:47,280 Each part does its share, causes growth of the body because when 86 00:05:47,280 --> 00:05:51,520 you do your bit, everyone else is blessed and the church grows 87 00:05:52,360 --> 00:05:54,600 for the edifying of itself in love. 88 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,520 This morning we're going to go to the heart of one of those 89 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:04,000 vital pieces God has designed, set in place for the church to 90 00:06:04,000 --> 00:06:11,520 operate as Christ intended. Let's read Colossians chapter 2, 91 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,440 verse one. I want you to know what a great 92 00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:21,120 conflict I have for you and those in lad to see, and for as 93 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:26,640 many as have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may 94 00:06:26,640 --> 00:06:28,960 be encouraged. He's writing this to encourage 95 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:31,600 them. How that you be knit together, 96 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:37,240 united in love, attaining to all riches, of the full assurance of 97 00:06:37,240 --> 00:06:40,240 understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God. 98 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:44,480 What is the mystery of God? Both of the Father of Christ, in 99 00:06:44,480 --> 00:06:47,360 whom? In Jesus Christ that's been the 100 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:52,760 theme, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and 101 00:06:52,760 --> 00:06:54,880 knowledge. Are you a person that wants to 102 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,600 learn? You know, I'd like to learn, you 103 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:59,960 know. But are you learning useless 104 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:02,000 stuff? You know, just like useless 105 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,480 stuff. Now this I say, lest anyone 106 00:07:06,480 --> 00:07:09,080 should be deceive you with persuasive words. 107 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:11,840 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in 108 00:07:11,840 --> 00:07:16,520 spirit, rejoicing to see you. Your good order, Colossi was a 109 00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:19,840 church that had order. We like to have order here in 110 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:24,040 the church and in the steadfastness of your faith in 111 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:27,680 Christ. We're going to do a spiritual 112 00:07:27,680 --> 00:07:30,680 endocardiogram on the heart of the apostle Paul. 113 00:07:30,680 --> 00:07:35,080 We're going to look at the heart of the pastor, the apostle Paul, 114 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:38,280 in this context. This is so vital because we're 115 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:42,040 now living in the last days, biblically, the last days. 116 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:46,880 Peter referred to him being in the last days, Paul being in the 117 00:07:46,880 --> 00:07:51,080 last days. Soon the rapture will occur when 118 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:52,880 we don't know, but we need to be ready. 119 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:57,480 Following the rapture will begin the the, the tribulation period, 120 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:02,560 77 years, sorry, seven years, the 70th year of Daniel's 121 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:08,080 prophecy, 7 year period where this world, we think it's bad. 122 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:12,560 It's going to be beyond what we could even imagine or think. 123 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:17,040 And following that seven years of tribulation, at the end of 124 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:22,480 that, the second coming of Jesus Christ, then he'll establish 125 00:08:22,480 --> 00:08:29,040 his, his throne, rule and reign in Jerusalem and he'll rule for 126 00:08:29,040 --> 00:08:32,840 1000 years, the Bible tells us. Then lastly, at the end of that 127 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:37,080 thousand years, this world that we know, Secret Harbour and 128 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:40,080 everything else, Hawaii, you think of an England, America, 129 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:43,200 and all the places that you think of now will be gone. 130 00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:49,720 This world will melt with a fervent heat, and a new heaven 131 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:52,000 and a new earth will be established. 132 00:08:53,320 --> 00:08:57,200 So that's what lies before us, and we're involved in all those 133 00:08:57,200 --> 00:08:59,360 things. Except for the Tribulation 134 00:08:59,360 --> 00:09:00,560 period. We're out the way. 135 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,400 But what comes along with us living in the last days, the 136 00:09:06,400 --> 00:09:07,960 time in which you and I live now? 137 00:09:08,600 --> 00:09:12,360 Deception, Deception. People knock on your door. 138 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,000 They want to have you follow their church because their 139 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:23,200 church is the only way. Paul wrote to Timothy and said 140 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,360 for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. 141 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:29,040 People don't like the Bible so much. 142 00:09:29,520 --> 00:09:32,280 People don't like coming to Calvary chapels and other 143 00:09:32,280 --> 00:09:35,320 churches where the Bible is just taught because they go, oh, it's 144 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:37,320 boring. Plus, you know, it's just, well, 145 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:39,600 I can't understand it. I can't understand it because 146 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:42,920 I'm not born again. You need the Spirit of God to 147 00:09:42,920 --> 00:09:44,520 hear the word of God speaking to you. 148 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:47,960 But if you're here today, you want to hear the Bible, then God 149 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:49,560 has done something with your heart. 150 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,560 But there are people who are going and they're on a they're 151 00:09:52,560 --> 00:09:57,760 on a religious voyage, cruising from place to place where they 152 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,880 can get their ears itched, that scratched. 153 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:05,160 It says for the time will come when they will not endure a 154 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:08,040 sound doctrine. That's good teaching, but 155 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:12,840 according to their own desires. This is not what I want because 156 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:16,040 they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves. 157 00:10:16,280 --> 00:10:19,640 Teachers, I'm going to go somewhere where that person will 158 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:25,440 tell me what I want to hear and they will turn their ears away 159 00:10:25,440 --> 00:10:27,960 from the truth. Jesus said I am the way, the 160 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,520 truth and the life and be turned aside to fables. 161 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:38,000 Can you imagine putting your eternal life in the hands of the 162 00:10:38,080 --> 00:10:39,560 old woman that lived in the shoe? 163 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:42,600 Well, she said that I would go to heaven. 164 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:44,120 The old woman in the shoe said it. 165 00:10:44,680 --> 00:10:47,360 I've been to that old woman in the shoe church for years. 166 00:10:47,720 --> 00:10:50,480 I'm a faithful member of that. And Mother Goose has been going 167 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:56,040 there for years too. Hans Christian Andersen was the 168 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:58,120 elder there. He, I loved everything that he 169 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,960 said. In Jeremiah chapter 5, verse 30, 170 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,840 Jeremiah says a horrible and shocking thing has happened in 171 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,000 this land. Speaking of Israel, the prophets 172 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,040 give false prophecies and the priests rule with an iron hand. 173 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:17,360 Worse yet, my people like it that way. 174 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,120 But what will you do when the end comes? 175 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:26,720 Today I speak to you both as a warning and as an encouragement. 176 00:11:27,560 --> 00:11:31,400 False teachers are coming and they're already here and they're 177 00:11:31,400 --> 00:11:33,840 coming for your souls. It's interesting. 178 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,480 You can tell a false teacher when they come to your door and 179 00:11:36,480 --> 00:11:39,920 they're trying to sell you their magazine and you say I'm already 180 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:41,640 a Christian. They don't move on, do they? 181 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:43,520 They don't go, oh, that's great, move on. 182 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:50,560 They go, oh, and what church do you go to? 183 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:58,720 And the nostrils flare a little bit, smell blood, and they stay. 184 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:02,040 And whenever I have two of those, usually at my doorstep, I 185 00:12:02,080 --> 00:12:05,480 always there's a learner and the teacher. 186 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:07,800 And I always look, say, I find out who's the learner, who's the 187 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,320 teacher. And then I concentrate on the 188 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:11,640 teacher, on the learner. And I say, what church did you 189 00:12:11,640 --> 00:12:14,200 used to go to? And they'll always tell you, I 190 00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,160 used to be a Catholic. I used to go to this, I used to 191 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:17,560 go there. I said, what might you leave 192 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,560 the, Oh well. And the, the, the, the teacher 193 00:12:20,560 --> 00:12:24,560 gets very uppity about that because they're losing control 194 00:12:24,560 --> 00:12:28,960 of the whole scenario. It's a tragedy, but you know, 195 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,640 you're the sheep and the sheep are what the wolves are looking 196 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:39,520 for. This is why we do Bible 197 00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:45,000 exposition, why we always study the Bible, the word of God. 198 00:12:46,080 --> 00:12:49,080 Every time you come to church, you should hear. 199 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:52,600 And now let's open our Bibles too, because we don't want 200 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:56,320 anyone who calls Calvary Chapel Secret Harbour, their local 201 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:59,360 church to be spiritually illiterate. 202 00:13:00,680 --> 00:13:04,800 We want you to be the best loved and the best fed sheep in the 203 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:06,560 land. Pastor Chuck Smith used to 204 00:13:06,560 --> 00:13:09,880 always tell us that you need to teach and feed the sheep. 205 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,960 They need to be the best loved and the best fed. 206 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:18,240 That's your job. Now coming to the first few 207 00:13:18,240 --> 00:13:22,200 verses of the 2nd chapter, we read Paul is in the midst of his 208 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:24,680 argument and remember he's writing this letter because 209 00:13:24,680 --> 00:13:28,000 there's false teachers are checked attacking the Church of 210 00:13:28,000 --> 00:13:31,640 Colossae and they're saying well, Jesus doesn't have it all 211 00:13:31,640 --> 00:13:35,720 down. Just like the Jehovah Witnesses 212 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,080 today, they're Jesus, the Mormons Jesus, everyone else is 213 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:41,680 Jesus. Even Islam has a Jesus, but he's 214 00:13:41,680 --> 00:13:44,840 not the Jesus of the Bible because the Jesus of the Bible 215 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:47,560 is the Son of God, God Incarnate. 216 00:13:48,640 --> 00:13:52,480 And Paul is arguing, of course, for the deity of the Lord Jesus 217 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:55,120 Christ. He's spent chapter 1 telling us 218 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:59,440 that in him is the fullness. He's the icon, He's the he's God 219 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,480 in the flesh, fully God. And he's told us in chapter 1 of 220 00:14:04,480 --> 00:14:07,800 the sufficiency of Christ. He's everything that you need. 221 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:13,760 There's no needed additions. I want you to know, he says in 222 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,880 verse one. What a great conflict I have for 223 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:21,400 you, those in Laodicea and those who have not seen my face 224 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:24,240 because Paul hadn't been to Colossae, he hadn't been to 225 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:26,520 Laodicea. He didn't start those churches. 226 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:32,440 They had started as an offshoot from Paul being in Ephesus, and 227 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:35,160 Epaphras had started the church at Colossae. 228 00:14:36,800 --> 00:14:42,320 The word conflict here is the Greek word AGONA, Agona. 229 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:46,160 It's where we get our English word agony. 230 00:14:47,040 --> 00:14:50,240 And the word, the word in the Greek here great is the word 231 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,760 magnitude. I want to tell you the of the 232 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:57,360 magnitude of the agony I have for you as a church. 233 00:14:57,600 --> 00:15:01,880 Why is he saying that? Well, we get to see the heart of 234 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,760 God. We get to see the heart of Paul 235 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:10,920 as well, and the very heart of every pastor, I believe, who's 236 00:15:10,920 --> 00:15:14,720 given the responsibility to shepherd, to feed and protect 237 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,600 those for whom Christ died, his church. 238 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,080 If there was one quality so I asked you a question now if 239 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,760 there's one quality that a minister that a pastor must 240 00:15:24,760 --> 00:15:28,240 have. What would you say it was to be 241 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,360 if you were handed a sheet once you're all right down what you 242 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:35,200 think the one thing is that a pastor should have a minister 243 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:37,920 should have. What would that one thing be 244 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:39,840 that would make the shepherd the true shepherd. 245 00:15:41,560 --> 00:15:44,200 What would make the pastor the true pastor of the flock of 246 00:15:44,200 --> 00:15:48,520 Christ? Is it academic know how they 247 00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,520 need to have intelligence so that we can understand the 248 00:15:51,520 --> 00:15:54,680 Bible. That would be important or would 249 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:59,480 you say knowledge? He should already know the word 250 00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,800 of God, not learning it. Is it experience? 251 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,480 Others might say it needs to be experienced in the world. 252 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,040 No. Any minister or any Christian 253 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:12,680 servant surely must have leadership ability. 254 00:16:12,680 --> 00:16:13,840 They're going to be able to lead. 255 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:18,040 Surely That would be important. Others might say boldness. 256 00:16:18,040 --> 00:16:22,600 I want a preacher, a pastor, to be bold, to be brave. 257 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:26,600 We need, we need them to have holiness and they need to be 258 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:28,600 pure in their living. They need to have preaching 259 00:16:28,600 --> 00:16:31,360 power. They need to have sympathy and 260 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:33,800 whatever and whatever. And you can add and add and add 261 00:16:34,600 --> 00:16:39,280 in the recipe multiples of combinations of all these 262 00:16:39,280 --> 00:16:40,680 things. They all fit in somewhere. 263 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:44,480 They're all good points the Bible would tell us. 264 00:16:44,720 --> 00:16:48,680 The Bible would show us the most basic, the most effective, the 265 00:16:48,680 --> 00:16:56,600 most necessary ingredient in the life of any minister is the love 266 00:16:56,600 --> 00:17:00,040 of the Church of Christ, the love of the Church of Christ, 267 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:06,400 the love of the church because that becomes the catalyst that 268 00:17:06,400 --> 00:17:10,280 motivates him in every other dimension, the love of the 269 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:15,359 church. In Ephesians chapter 5, marriage 270 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:19,160 is spoken of as being a mirror image of our relationship and 271 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:23,160 the church with God. In Ephesians 5, and speaking 272 00:17:23,160 --> 00:17:28,960 about husbands, it says husbands is the command, love your wives. 273 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:33,840 What's the example? Even as Christ also loved the 274 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,040 church, how did he love the church? 275 00:17:36,320 --> 00:17:40,320 And he gave himself for it. So that's the role of a husband, 276 00:17:40,880 --> 00:17:42,960 that's your job. You got one thing to do, guys. 277 00:17:43,000 --> 00:17:47,720 That's it, one job. It was Christ's love for the 278 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:52,000 church that prompted him to give up his life for it. 279 00:17:53,240 --> 00:17:57,560 That's why I say all these other ingredients that we spoke of 280 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:04,040 that come into play when a man gives himself with the church. 281 00:18:04,040 --> 00:18:09,280 They are all predicated based on the foundation of the fact that 282 00:18:09,280 --> 00:18:13,760 he loves the church. In Acts chapter 20, verse 28, 283 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,960 Paul speaking to the Ephesian pastors or elders. 284 00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:23,360 There'd just been this huge furo in Ephesus where all the, the, 285 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:26,560 the Smith, the silversmiths who made the little idols of the, 286 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:30,640 the goddess Diana there. And Paul, because he's preaching 287 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:32,800 and setting up the church in Ephesus, people weren't going to 288 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,200 idols anymore. And so they were losing out big 289 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,720 business. So they had this huge ruckus and 290 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,960 they, the town of Ephesus stormed and you can still go to 291 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:45,960 the Colosseum like assembly there and, and, and sit in the 292 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:47,760 place where where all this happened. 293 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:50,920 And they began to say, great, as the God goddess of Diana, great. 294 00:18:50,920 --> 00:18:53,160 And they shouted out and Paul said, you know what, I'm going 295 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:55,680 to, I'm going to go in there and talk to these people and, and 296 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,080 the, the disciples are anxious. Stop Paul. 297 00:18:58,080 --> 00:18:59,640 You can't go in. They'll tear you apart. 298 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:02,400 So they stop Paul from physically going in there. 299 00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:08,440 So here we pick it up and what Paul does, Paul says, because 300 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:10,440 they say you need to leave here because they're going to kill 301 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:12,960 you. And Paul gathers the elders and 302 00:19:12,960 --> 00:19:16,520 he says, take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, flock over 303 00:19:16,520 --> 00:19:20,000 which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. 304 00:19:20,960 --> 00:19:23,000 And here, what does he say as he leaves them? 305 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,920 Last words to feed the Church of God which he has purchased. 306 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:29,640 How? With his own blood. 307 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:32,800 That's your job. They're the last words, words of 308 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:37,120 Paul. Paul is saying, remember, you 309 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,040 have an obligation to feed the church. 310 00:19:41,080 --> 00:19:44,160 What church? The church that Jesus purchased 311 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:49,120 with his own blood. If he loved it that much, if he 312 00:19:49,120 --> 00:19:52,400 loved it that much that he would give his blood for it, then the 313 00:19:52,400 --> 00:19:56,040 under shepherd can do no less than love it with his entire 314 00:19:56,040 --> 00:19:59,160 being. Jesus loved the church and gave 315 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:02,240 himself for it. It wasn't the structure he 316 00:20:02,240 --> 00:20:04,080 didn't like. Oh, I just love the buildings, 317 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:05,080 man. That's just cool. 318 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,800 He loved the people that are the church, and he was willing and 319 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:12,160 able to die for them. This is the heart that we see of 320 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:13,720 the apostle Paul. Now. 321 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,920 Paul was beheaded in Rome, executed. 322 00:20:17,640 --> 00:20:21,120 Paul's death was not substitutionary. 323 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:25,000 It was not atoning, it was not divine. 324 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:30,120 But Paul died simply because he loved the Church of Jesus 325 00:20:30,120 --> 00:20:33,320 Christ. And again, it wasn't the 326 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,120 institution that he loved, it wasn't the denomination that he 327 00:20:37,120 --> 00:20:40,800 loved, it wasn't the organisation that he loved, it 328 00:20:40,800 --> 00:20:46,400 was the people that he loved and gave his life for them to the 329 00:20:46,400 --> 00:20:50,760 people in the thriving, growing church in Corinth past Israel's 330 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:51,640 teaching. Through that. 331 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:56,160 Again tonight Paul said to 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 verse 2, 332 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:01,640 Paul wrote to them and said, you are our epistle written in our 333 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:05,440 hearts. You are inscribed in our hearts. 334 00:21:05,440 --> 00:21:07,200 In other words, we care about you. 335 00:21:08,080 --> 00:21:12,240 In Second Corinthians chapter 6 verse 11, Paul says, are you 336 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:15,560 Corinthians? Our speech to you is candid. 337 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,480 Our heart is wide open. We love you. 338 00:21:20,800 --> 00:21:26,080 In Two Corinthians chapter 12 verse 15, Paul said, I will very 339 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,240 gladly spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly 340 00:21:31,240 --> 00:21:34,520 I love you, the less I be loved. I'll die for you. 341 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:39,720 Paul said, even though the more I love you, the less you love 342 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:42,120 me. And there was conflict in Paul's 343 00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:44,840 second letter in the church. People say, well, Paul, he's not 344 00:21:44,840 --> 00:21:48,080 really a minister after all. I mean, he didn't get to take a 345 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:50,520 salary while I was here. He's just kind of like a lie 346 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:53,480 person, just doing stuff. He's not really one called of 347 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:56,560 God. And Paul builds his argument to 348 00:21:56,560 --> 00:22:01,880 say no, no, I loved you and I didn't take a salary because I 349 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:06,080 was showing you my love for you. Parents, this is a great verse 350 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:10,360 for you if you have a team because Paul says even though 351 00:22:10,360 --> 00:22:12,600 the more I love you, the less you love me. 352 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:16,680 How often when teens go through a certain period of their life, 353 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,640 they go, well, if you love me, you let me go to the party. 354 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:21,800 If you love me, you let me do this. 355 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:24,600 You don't love me because you just want me to tell me stay 356 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,400 home. You just want me to to do this. 357 00:22:26,400 --> 00:22:29,720 You just lay out all these rules and each time I go somewhere, 358 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:31,960 you tell me what to do and what not to do. 359 00:22:32,240 --> 00:22:37,480 You don't love me. Wow, it's actually the reverse. 360 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:42,920 Because if they don't care, they just don't do what you like. 361 00:22:45,120 --> 00:22:48,520 Don't do what you like. Parents, don't give up. 362 00:22:49,360 --> 00:22:51,760 Don't stop. Paul didn't. 363 00:22:51,840 --> 00:22:55,000 Even though the more I love you, the less you love me. 364 00:22:56,760 --> 00:23:00,600 It's a great verse. Parents for your teens, keep on 365 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:06,920 loving them, keep on guiding them, keep on admonishing them, 366 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:11,200 caring for them, telling them no matter what comes back. 367 00:23:12,640 --> 00:23:16,040 Paul loved the church. He loved the church so much that 368 00:23:16,040 --> 00:23:19,960 in the pursuit of it and the maturity of it, he gave his 369 00:23:19,960 --> 00:23:25,520 life. Paul suffered all the way along 370 00:23:26,360 --> 00:23:31,680 until finally he was executed. This is God's call to shepherds. 371 00:23:32,640 --> 00:23:34,440 Maybe that's some of you here this morning. 372 00:23:35,400 --> 00:23:37,440 You think, well, I'm thinking you're going into the ministry 373 00:23:37,440 --> 00:23:40,360 or I'm thinking of being, you know, doing this or something 374 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:41,640 like that. Guess what? 375 00:23:41,680 --> 00:23:48,240 It's a life sentence and the reason Paul loved the church so 376 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:50,120 much. Why did he love the church so 377 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:51,720 much? Remember he tried to kill it, 378 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:54,360 first of all. Remember he was going around 379 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,560 having them all put to death, locking them up. 380 00:23:57,840 --> 00:24:00,680 Why did Paul now love the church so much? 381 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:04,320 It's because He loved the Lord so much. 382 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:08,760 And if you love the Lord, and here's where it gets all falls 383 00:24:08,760 --> 00:24:14,040 into place, if you love the Lord, you'll love whom the Lord 384 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:16,400 loves. That's why when you see someone 385 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:22,480 now who before you wouldn't give the time of day for a person on 386 00:24:22,480 --> 00:24:24,880 the street, you know someone's struggling in the shopping 387 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:27,960 centre, a mother with a couple of kids or an elderly person 388 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:30,240 before you just go on about your business, don't have time. 389 00:24:30,400 --> 00:24:33,200 But now some something grabs your heart and you see them. 390 00:24:33,200 --> 00:24:37,240 You think that's someone that Christ died for because 391 00:24:37,240 --> 00:24:40,520 something has happened and you know you love them now in a 392 00:24:40,520 --> 00:24:44,600 different way because God is using you and showing you, I 393 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:50,120 love them, that person I died for, and so you now love them. 394 00:24:50,720 --> 00:24:52,760 There's been a change in your life. 395 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:55,400 You're no longer just all about you. 396 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:01,640 First, John 5 says whoever loves him will love him who has 397 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,000 begotten of him. That's why John says in one 398 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,560 John, it's impossible to say you love God and don't love the 399 00:25:08,560 --> 00:25:12,560 brothers and sisters of the body of Christ because whoever loves 400 00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:14,840 him will love who has begotten of him. 401 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:19,080 Let us remember it was never really Paul's church. 402 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:24,200 It's always Christchurch and he loved Christ so much that he 403 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,560 loved what Christ loved and Christ loved the church. 404 00:25:26,720 --> 00:25:30,760 He gave his life for it that he would give his life for what 405 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:35,120 Christ gave his life for to you this morning who believe you are 406 00:25:35,120 --> 00:25:37,360 part of the church. I don't know if you are you're 407 00:25:37,360 --> 00:25:39,000 part of the church. If you're born again. 408 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,720 If you consider this place, Calvary Chapel, your local 409 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,120 church, some you may just visit it on occasions. 410 00:25:45,480 --> 00:25:47,800 Some you think, no, I'm part of this, I want to be part of the 411 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:49,400 church. I believe in God. 412 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:53,000 And well, God wants to take you another step. 413 00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:55,240 That's why we're going through this today. 414 00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,560 He's revealing to you, well, if this is where you are, that's 415 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,840 what you're at. This is what God expects. 416 00:26:03,120 --> 00:26:05,880 If you believe you're part of the church, that Paul love, that 417 00:26:05,960 --> 00:26:10,280 Jesus heads Christian, you will never serve God on the behalf of 418 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:15,000 God's people with any kind of motivation rather than an 419 00:26:15,000 --> 00:26:17,240 outright and total love for the church. 420 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:24,600 It's necessary. Christ poured his life out 421 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:29,000 loving the church. Paul poured his life out loving 422 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:32,200 the church. In Second Corinthians, as I 423 00:26:32,200 --> 00:26:35,280 said, there was an attack on Paul's ministry and his 424 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:39,080 authority. And Paul says to those who are 425 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,960 questioning him, they even some in the church were saying we 426 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:45,840 don't want to be part of Paul. And he was saying of the false 427 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:48,000 teachers. He says, well are these false 428 00:26:48,000 --> 00:26:52,400 teachers ministers of Christ? 2nd Corinthians 1123. 429 00:26:52,960 --> 00:26:55,400 It's a little, Paul's being a little sarcastic here. 430 00:26:55,560 --> 00:26:59,000 He's talking about his critics. So are they really ministers? 431 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,680 Are they ministers of Christ? He says I speak as a fool, of 432 00:27:03,680 --> 00:27:07,240 course. And here Paul uses sarcasm a 433 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:11,720 little bit. He says I am more in labours, 434 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:19,600 more abundant in stripes, beatings above measure in 435 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:24,680 prison, more frequently in death and the threat of death. 436 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:30,040 Often he says, compare me to these false teachers who just 437 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:33,400 cruising through looking for money, looking to RIP you off 438 00:27:33,760 --> 00:27:37,360 just purely for themselves. People speak. 439 00:27:37,360 --> 00:27:41,080 Paul speaks of the qualifications of leadership, of 440 00:27:41,080 --> 00:27:44,600 being given the role to pass to those for whom Christ suffered 441 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:46,000 and died. What? 442 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:48,200 What were Paul's qualifications for? 443 00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:52,760 For the school of ministry to go to Paul, he says. 444 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:59,920 He goes on to say, and 2nd Corinthians. 5 times I received 445 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:06,520 39 strokes. 5 times he was flogged, given 39 lashes 5 times 446 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:11,640 that's a that's a beating. Three times I was beaten with 447 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:15,080 rods. They still do it in Singapore at 448 00:28:15,080 --> 00:28:19,160 this large cane publicly flogging 3 times. 449 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:23,920 Paul says I had that suffered shipwreck at sea. 450 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:28,840 I spent a night and a day in the ocean, journeys and perils of 451 00:28:28,840 --> 00:28:33,440 waters and robbers and his own countrymen and Gentiles, in the 452 00:28:33,440 --> 00:28:37,960 city, in wilderness, in the sea, from false brethren. 453 00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:43,440 And he goes on, and I've suffered weariness, painfulness, 454 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:49,520 thirsty, naked, fasting, on and on. 455 00:28:49,520 --> 00:28:51,640 He says. Then in verse 28, he says this 456 00:28:51,920 --> 00:28:55,280 besides all these things, and he just rattles them off. 457 00:28:56,200 --> 00:28:59,280 These are Paul's qualifications. They're not bits of paper 458 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:05,000 hanging on a wall, are they? The scars and wounds, besides 459 00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,280 all these things that are without, he says. 460 00:29:07,280 --> 00:29:10,760 Outside things that I've suffered and gone through the 461 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:14,080 main anxiety of my life. Oh, what is that? 462 00:29:14,080 --> 00:29:17,000 Paul? Is that which comes upon me 463 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:21,880 daily, which is the care of all the churches. 464 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,400 Oh, that's the greatest pressure that Paul had. 465 00:29:27,640 --> 00:29:31,600 Paul says daily. It isn't the outside stuff. 466 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,920 Beatings, floggings. I mean, you just sit with this 467 00:29:34,920 --> 00:29:37,040 guy and how many times you've been in gaol. 468 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,600 Oh, well, so many times. Yeah, I just get used to it. 469 00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:42,360 Got my own coffee cup in all the gaols. 470 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:50,000 It isn't the outside stuff that Paul struggles with nearly as 471 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:53,400 much as the inside anxiety. The daily pressure. 472 00:29:53,520 --> 00:29:55,040 Daily pressure. What's Paul got? 473 00:29:56,440 --> 00:29:58,440 It's the heart of Paul being revealed here. 474 00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:02,120 So pastor's qualifications, what are they? 475 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:06,000 What seminary you went to? What Bible college you went to? 476 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:14,280 No, a pastor's qualifications are his wounds, his wounds, the 477 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:20,520 scars of ministry, the tears of being a shepherd who prays. 478 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:24,920 Explain, Keith, You may be thinking, what precious? 479 00:30:25,400 --> 00:30:30,000 What precious the pressure that comes automatically on a man of 480 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:34,920 God who loves the church because he lives and dies with every 481 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:39,800 success and failure in the life of the people he loves that 482 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:45,240 Christ puts them over. I tell you, the called minister 483 00:30:45,240 --> 00:30:52,960 of Christ will spend most of his life broken hearted, and he will 484 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:54,760 spend it broken hearted. Why? 485 00:30:56,040 --> 00:30:59,440 Because there will be that many people in the church who will 486 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:03,480 break his heart. How he will try to balance that 487 00:31:03,480 --> 00:31:07,040 off with being joyous over the people who are doing the right 488 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:12,800 thing that God wants them to do. But it's like Susanna Wesley who 489 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:17,320 had John and Charles. Susanna Wesley and Samuel Wesley 490 00:31:17,320 --> 00:31:21,720 had 19 children. That's a footy team with a spare 491 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,280 on the side. And she was asked one day, 492 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:28,000 Susanna, do you have a favourite? 493 00:31:28,720 --> 00:31:32,120 How do you look after 19 kids? And what she did, she did have a 494 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:40,560 patent as a mother of nineteen children, she said every night I 495 00:31:40,560 --> 00:31:45,800 have a special time with one of the children, so I have a 19. 496 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,960 She would go through the Monday she said with and that and that 497 00:31:48,960 --> 00:31:53,040 one night Monday is so and so Tuesday is so and out of that 498 00:31:53,160 --> 00:31:56,560 she would spend that special, special time as a mother 499 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:59,920 speaking and administering. But she says who's my favourite? 500 00:31:59,920 --> 00:32:04,800 That's easy. Whoever's suffering with the 501 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:08,360 sickest or going through difficulty at the time, they're 502 00:32:08,360 --> 00:32:12,600 my favourite. And this is what happens with 503 00:32:12,600 --> 00:32:19,280 the person who's over church. It says of Demas that Demas 504 00:32:19,280 --> 00:32:21,280 broke the heart of Paul. How? 505 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,400 Because he forsook him. Paul loved Demas. 506 00:32:25,400 --> 00:32:30,080 Demas took off the Judaizers came in infiltrating the 507 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:35,400 Galatian church and made Paul so furious he poured out that wrote 508 00:32:35,400 --> 00:32:39,240 the letter to the Galatians, which is just the floor of anger 509 00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:43,120 against false doctrine. And those would seek to destroy 510 00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:45,760 the church. If you read the book of 511 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:50,400 Ephesians, you sense Paul's tears for the church at Ephesus. 512 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:54,400 As you read the book of Acts, you can see Paul's tears for the 513 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:58,080 church. And as you read 1 Corinthians, 514 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:02,280 which we're going through Sunday nights, you can hear and feel 515 00:33:02,440 --> 00:33:06,560 the heartbeat of Paul as he pours out the truth to 516 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:10,360 counteract the sins that were happening of man in the Church 517 00:33:10,360 --> 00:33:14,600 of Corinth. I was asked some time back by 518 00:33:14,600 --> 00:33:17,200 someone. I said, oh, can we catch up? 519 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:18,760 I said, yeah, what do you want to catch up there? 520 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:21,920 Well, I'm thinking about going into the ministry and taking on 521 00:33:21,920 --> 00:33:23,360 a role as a pastor of this church. 522 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:28,680 I said, yeah, sure. So we caught up and he said, you 523 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:30,960 know, what do you think? You know, this is the church and 524 00:33:30,960 --> 00:33:33,400 this is what I'm thinking. This was my response. 525 00:33:35,200 --> 00:33:40,280 You should only accept that position of pastor in that 526 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:46,040 church if you love the people that Christ died for in their 527 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:51,120 congregation. I mean, you love them so that no 528 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:58,040 matter what, where and how happens, you'll remain faithful 529 00:33:58,680 --> 00:34:00,760 in pastoring and shepherding that church. 530 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,880 It's the same as in a marriage. There's no well, it's for 531 00:34:06,920 --> 00:34:09,880 richer, for poorer, sickness and health, for better, for worse. 532 00:34:11,239 --> 00:34:17,480 That's that's the reason to be over a fellowship in one 533 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:25,000 Corinthians chapter 4 verse 11, Paul says until this present 534 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:29,159 hour, we both hunger and thirst and are naked and are buffeted. 535 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:33,719 That's literally in the Greek punched in the mouth and have no 536 00:34:33,719 --> 00:34:36,480 place to live and we labour working with our own hands. 537 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:40,480 Paul was a tent maker being reviled being when we're 538 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,400 reviled, we bless being persecuted, we endure it being 539 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:49,000 defamed, we entreated. We are made as the filth of the 540 00:34:49,000 --> 00:34:51,920 world and the garbage, the refuse of all things to this 541 00:34:51,920 --> 00:34:53,679 day. That's what we go through. 542 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,960 That's what we endure. Many people would say, oh Paul, 543 00:34:57,080 --> 00:35:03,360 well, why do you do that? Verse 14, Paul says, I write not 544 00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:06,760 these things to shame you, but as as my what? 545 00:35:07,600 --> 00:35:12,240 As my beloved sons. The reason I do it is because 546 00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:14,320 you're beloved to me. I love you guys. 547 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:20,200 The role of a pastor as such is long term. 548 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:24,400 It's not just a fad. I'm not just here while things 549 00:35:24,400 --> 00:35:27,040 are good. Suits me and my family at this 550 00:35:27,040 --> 00:35:29,680 time. Now it is the duration until 551 00:35:29,680 --> 00:35:35,000 Christ calls you home. You see, that's the difference 552 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:39,960 between the professional Jesus calls on the highland in John 553 00:35:39,960 --> 00:35:45,400 chapter 10 and the true shepherd one called by God is that false 554 00:35:45,400 --> 00:35:48,560 teachers are always seeking to gather under themselves. 555 00:35:48,800 --> 00:35:51,400 The focus of the ministry is them. 556 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:54,640 It's about their ministry. It's not about the church 557 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,880 people. It's about, well, I'm thinking 558 00:35:56,880 --> 00:35:59,280 of doing this for my ministry. And this is how I mean, how we 559 00:35:59,280 --> 00:36:00,800 can, you know, expand my ministry? 560 00:36:01,560 --> 00:36:08,720 Sorry, John 10 One most assuredly, I say to you, he who 561 00:36:08,720 --> 00:36:12,600 does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some 562 00:36:12,600 --> 00:36:15,400 other way, the same as a thief and a robber. 563 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:19,120 The true shepherd came to save the sheep, but the false 564 00:36:19,120 --> 00:36:22,080 shepherds take advantage of the sheep and exploit them. 565 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:25,840 I remember talking to a pastor of a large church in Canning 566 00:36:25,840 --> 00:36:27,920 Vale area. You won't know who it is because 567 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:31,480 it's moved, he says. The church people, they're just 568 00:36:31,480 --> 00:36:35,560 the they're they're the scaffolding of what I'm doing 569 00:36:35,560 --> 00:36:37,560 here. I'm building something. 570 00:36:38,720 --> 00:36:42,320 Scaffolding. I couldn't believe my ears. 571 00:36:42,320 --> 00:36:43,920 Yeah, they're just the scaffolding. 572 00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:49,200 That's the difference between the one who cranks it out and 573 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:51,440 fulfils it only on a professional level. 574 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:54,040 It's a job. Or the one who just wants a 575 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:56,400 position of power. I just want to have that title. 576 00:36:57,520 --> 00:37:00,000 Are seeking to do their own thing to gather people to 577 00:37:00,000 --> 00:37:03,600 themselves compared to the one called by God, gifted by God, 578 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,920 the one for whom it is their hearts passion can't do anything 579 00:37:07,920 --> 00:37:13,120 else. A youth pastor at David Rosales 580 00:37:13,120 --> 00:37:15,040 church. He was the the youth pastor 581 00:37:15,040 --> 00:37:19,160 Calvary Chapel Chino Valley came to David pastor David Rosales. 582 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:23,120 He's still preaching there David he said well you know pastor 583 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:25,440 David I want to see you about a couple of things church down the 584 00:37:25,440 --> 00:37:27,400 road. They've offered me a position to 585 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,520 be youth pastor down there and the salary is a little bit 586 00:37:30,520 --> 00:37:33,840 higher. And Dave said, Lord, I pray for 587 00:37:33,840 --> 00:37:37,600 my youth pastor now. I pray that he can move and go 588 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,200 and, and, and enjoy this new job. 589 00:37:39,320 --> 00:37:40,520 He said, you can leave straight away. 590 00:37:42,160 --> 00:37:45,160 He said, I don't want someone who's going, yeah, so I can stay 591 00:37:45,160 --> 00:37:47,280 if you, you know, up, up the ante a little bit. 592 00:37:47,960 --> 00:37:50,440 He says, I want someone who stays and wants to be the youth 593 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:55,320 pastor because I love the youth. So I I quit him right there on 594 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:56,280 the spot. Pray for him. 595 00:37:56,280 --> 00:37:58,760 He says off you go have a good time. 596 00:38:00,360 --> 00:38:04,000 Otherwise it's just the highly who's who's paying the most. 597 00:38:05,240 --> 00:38:09,200 Paul couldn't minister without emotion because he loved the 598 00:38:09,200 --> 00:38:13,040 church so much, because Jesus loved it and anything Jesus 599 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,200 loved and anything Jesus would die for, the apostle Paul would 600 00:38:16,200 --> 00:38:18,280 die for. I want to ask you today, how 601 00:38:18,280 --> 00:38:21,280 about you? What would you die for? 602 00:38:22,760 --> 00:38:27,080 Where's the line where? Well, I'll, I'll serve in 603 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:30,840 church, but there's a line. I've got a lot of stuff on. 604 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:36,320 What's the line in your life? Where's, where's the measure? 605 00:38:39,200 --> 00:38:44,840 So Acts 20, as I said, referring back to Paul and Ephesus after 606 00:38:44,840 --> 00:38:48,000 the uproar was ceased. And this, the Ephesian uproar, 607 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:51,680 when they threw away their idols, Paul came to his 608 00:38:51,680 --> 00:38:53,520 disciples and what did he do with them? 609 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:57,560 He embraced them. The word embrace is literally 610 00:38:57,560 --> 00:39:00,560 kissed. It means to kiss fervently or 611 00:39:00,560 --> 00:39:04,040 affectionately. Now this is the thing that I 612 00:39:04,040 --> 00:39:08,400 believe more than anything else. The man of God must have a love 613 00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:11,720 for the church. This is the thing that I pray 614 00:39:11,720 --> 00:39:18,600 for God to give us some each pastor here at Calgary that 615 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:23,040 would make me us sacrifice our lives for the sake of the 616 00:39:23,040 --> 00:39:25,920 church. And this is the thing that made 617 00:39:25,920 --> 00:39:28,800 Paul different. This love for God's people. 618 00:39:28,800 --> 00:39:32,320 Paul kept up in prayer each and every night. 619 00:39:33,240 --> 00:39:36,640 Pastors, true pastors of Christchurch don't sleep well 620 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,440 most nights. Why is that? 621 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:43,800 They're agonising for the sheep that Christ died for and placed 622 00:39:43,800 --> 00:39:48,320 under their care for those they see slipping and I, I see people 623 00:39:48,320 --> 00:39:49,520 slipping. I see it happening. 624 00:39:49,520 --> 00:39:52,640 I and there are people in my mind and constantly now and I'm 625 00:39:52,640 --> 00:39:55,800 praying for because I see that they're drifting off. 626 00:39:58,240 --> 00:40:00,720 I see people looking to the world, they're starting to 627 00:40:00,720 --> 00:40:03,280 dabble on things and I notice they're getting busier and 628 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,520 outside stuff and it's going to happen. 629 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:10,000 There are those that neglecting fellowship, feeding on God's 630 00:40:10,000 --> 00:40:13,080 word, and not praying at all. People who once walked with 631 00:40:13,080 --> 00:40:15,840 Christ, but do so no more. They just stopped. 632 00:40:16,040 --> 00:40:19,920 That's what broke Paul's heart. This is the thing that made Paul 633 00:40:19,920 --> 00:40:23,760 head and shoulders above any man that ever lived apart from Jesus 634 00:40:23,760 --> 00:40:31,840 Christ. Since the New Testament false 635 00:40:31,840 --> 00:40:35,120 doctrine was working on this church and Paul had such a 636 00:40:35,120 --> 00:40:39,800 tremendous love for this church even though he didn't, he wasn't 637 00:40:39,800 --> 00:40:44,680 the founding pastor there. He says I would that you knew 638 00:40:44,680 --> 00:40:51,400 what great conflict I have, the conflict, the ache, how much 639 00:40:51,440 --> 00:40:55,740 ache I have for you. Paul was bothered by these so 640 00:40:55,740 --> 00:40:58,400 called new fresh ideas about Jesus. 641 00:40:58,760 --> 00:41:02,080 These things bothered Paul as the false teachers were very 642 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:05,280 persuasive. Mark Twain said a lie can make 643 00:41:05,280 --> 00:41:08,640 it halfway around the world while truth is still lacing up 644 00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:13,280 its boots. Paul pours at his love. 645 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:15,000 He says, I have this great conflict. 646 00:41:15,360 --> 00:41:19,440 Paul laboured in prayer for the believers at Colossae because he 647 00:41:19,440 --> 00:41:23,360 loved them as Christ. Paul's prayer life was one of 648 00:41:23,360 --> 00:41:25,880 conflict. That is, work. 649 00:41:26,400 --> 00:41:28,360 It was hard work for Paul praying. 650 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:33,680 Paul here and elsewhere used the figure of an athlete to describe 651 00:41:33,720 --> 00:41:36,760 the toil of his prayer. The great conflict. 652 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:43,280 It's the word agony agonising. Those who are in athletics know 653 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:48,120 how much they must agonise to train, to win the event, to be 654 00:41:48,120 --> 00:41:54,360 the best at what they can. This morning as we close this, I 655 00:41:55,960 --> 00:41:57,480 want to ask a couple of things of you. 656 00:42:01,000 --> 00:42:06,200 Prayer, in spite of what many people believe and say, is the 657 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:08,120 hardest thing for you to labour in. 658 00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:14,880 It's the greatest battle that you face against your foes, for 659 00:42:14,880 --> 00:42:19,600 the forces of the enemy who are resisting, fighting against you 660 00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:24,400 and your family, working against our petitions, our cries of 661 00:42:24,400 --> 00:42:27,400 prayer. I want to ask your children if 662 00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,440 they would have turned to you right now and ask you, Dad, Mum, 663 00:42:32,240 --> 00:42:37,160 do you pray for me? Dad, Mum, do you pray for me 664 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:39,680 every day? Are you praying for me? 665 00:42:40,480 --> 00:42:42,400 What would you be your immediate answer? 666 00:42:43,800 --> 00:42:47,800 What is your answer if your son or your daughter turned to you 667 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:49,440 right now and said Dad, do you pray for me? 668 00:42:49,840 --> 00:42:52,760 You pray every day for me. Mom, do you pray for me? 669 00:42:55,680 --> 00:43:00,120 You see, when we cease to pray, we cease to fight and we give 670 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:04,840 him we encapasses. Satan trembles when he sees the 671 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:09,240 weakest St upon his knees. Paul knew as he prayed for those 672 00:43:09,240 --> 00:43:11,640 in Colossae, it would raise up conflict. 673 00:43:12,280 --> 00:43:13,920 Conflict with the enemies of Christ. 674 00:43:13,920 --> 00:43:15,680 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood. 675 00:43:17,160 --> 00:43:19,240 We cannot all be Apostle Paul's, can we? 676 00:43:19,800 --> 00:43:25,680 No, but we can all love the Lord with a passion whereby we will 677 00:43:25,680 --> 00:43:28,800 give him our lives. Romans 12 We can be living 678 00:43:28,800 --> 00:43:32,760 sacrifices, for He has given His life for us. 679 00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:37,800 We can all pray. Everyone here can, but can our 680 00:43:37,800 --> 00:43:41,040 prayers be driven by a great agony for those we love? 681 00:43:42,640 --> 00:43:45,680 We can't all be great Bible commentators, but we can know 682 00:43:45,680 --> 00:43:49,560 God through His word. Paul senses and believe he had 683 00:43:49,560 --> 00:43:51,560 an obligation. I want to ask, what's your 684 00:43:51,560 --> 00:43:54,400 obligation in your heart today? Where's your heart? 685 00:43:55,680 --> 00:43:59,560 I asked you this morning, what is the obligation that the Lord 686 00:43:59,560 --> 00:44:06,520 has called you to as a parent? It's a life sentence requiring 687 00:44:07,000 --> 00:44:12,160 prayer life sentence. As a husband and a wife, it's a 688 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:17,920 commandment to give your life for your wife and to love her. 689 00:44:18,560 --> 00:44:22,640 As a wife, it's a call to submission and respect to the 690 00:44:22,640 --> 00:44:27,640 spiritual head of your home. As a son or a daughter here this 691 00:44:27,640 --> 00:44:31,400 morning, it's for you to honour your mother and your father. 692 00:44:32,720 --> 00:44:35,160 You see, these are our obligations. 693 00:44:36,360 --> 00:44:39,760 This is where the church works, but this is where the church 694 00:44:39,760 --> 00:44:43,080 grows and this is where the power of the church and the 695 00:44:43,080 --> 00:44:47,360 power of God is released. In your life, some of you are 696 00:44:47,360 --> 00:44:49,400 struggling. You're continuing to struggle. 697 00:44:49,720 --> 00:44:51,960 I ask you, let God speak to your heart. 698 00:44:52,240 --> 00:44:54,200 He who has is. Let him hear what the Spirit 699 00:44:54,200 --> 00:44:59,200 says to you. God wants you and calls you.