1 00:00:04,720 --> 00:00:08,360 This is ERC Sundays, the messages at Emmaus Rd. 2 00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:12,280 Church in DeWitt, Iowa. ERC is a Church of people 3 00:00:12,280 --> 00:00:15,320 striving to grow in Jesus and make him known to others through 4 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:19,560 our faith, words and actions. Find out more about our church 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:23,360 at emmausrdonline.org. Here's this week's message. 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,440 We are in the book of Acts still. 7 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:33,240 We're taking all summer to work through Luke's account of the 8 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:36,440 early church, the multiplying church. 9 00:00:36,760 --> 00:00:40,080 We're jumping ahead a little bit in our journey from where we 10 00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:45,080 were last, and in some ways we're coming to an end. 11 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:50,840 It's been revealed to Paul that he needs to, he needs to return 12 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:53,640 to Jerusalem. The Spirit has revealed to him 13 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,520 that there are some groups of these churches that he's poured 14 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:00,400 into and built relationships with and grown the church for 15 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:02,520 years. The Spirit has revealed to him 16 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:07,080 that he's not going to see some of these churches, some of these 17 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:10,400 people ever again. This is this is his last time. 18 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:14,240 And we're going to take a look at a story of his parting words, 19 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:19,200 his last sermon to the elders of the church in Ephesus. 20 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,040 This was a church that he spent about three years with growing 21 00:01:24,040 --> 00:01:26,920 and building up. If you're familiar with Timothy, 22 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:30,240 the the one that Paul built up, Timothy was a part of this 23 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:35,520 church in Ephesus, a young leader there that Paul after his 24 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,160 time in Ephesus left Timothy in charge and said, it's it's now 25 00:01:39,160 --> 00:01:42,640 to you to build up elders to care for this church that we've 26 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:46,840 grown and started together. And now Paul on his final 27 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:52,880 journey on his way back to Jerusalem, takes a moment to he 28 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,720 doesn't make it all the way to Ephesus. 29 00:01:54,720 --> 00:01:59,560 He's actually in a a seaside city and he actually sends word 30 00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,280 for the elders of Ephesus to meet him here so he can see them 31 00:02:02,280 --> 00:02:05,880 one last time before before he journeys back. 32 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:08,680 So that's kind of the setup for where we're at. 33 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:14,720 We're in Acts chapter 20. We're going to read verses 17 34 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:24,680 through 24 in Jesus name. Now from my leases. 35 00:02:25,320 --> 00:02:29,240 He sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come 36 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:33,640 to him. When they came to him, he said 37 00:02:33,640 --> 00:02:37,720 to them, You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole 38 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,120 time, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the 39 00:02:41,120 --> 00:02:44,360 Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that 40 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,200 happened to me through the plots of the Jews. 41 00:02:47,800 --> 00:02:50,120 How I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that 42 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,840 was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to 43 00:02:53,840 --> 00:02:57,560 house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance 44 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,120 toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 45 00:03:01,920 --> 00:03:05,040 And now behold, I'm going to Jerusalem, constrained by the 46 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,400 Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that 47 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,240 the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment 48 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:19,360 and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of 49 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,200 any value, nor is precious to myself, if only I may finish my 50 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,440 course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to 51 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:29,400 testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 52 00:03:30,080 --> 00:03:34,360 And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have 53 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:38,520 gone about proclaiming the Kingdom will see my face again. 54 00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,080 Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of all, 55 00:03:42,480 --> 00:03:46,000 of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you 56 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:52,080 the whole counsel of God. This is the word of our Lord. 57 00:03:56,360 --> 00:04:02,480 This is a smaller snippet of a larger sermon that really the 58 00:04:02,480 --> 00:04:06,600 point of it. Paul's tasking these elders, 59 00:04:06,600 --> 00:04:11,320 these leaders of this young church on the things that 60 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:17,959 matter, on what will be ultimately his legacy. 61 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,160 But more importantly, and we'll, we'll get to it as we as we read 62 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:26,920 in between the lines, he's not leaving his legacy. 63 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:33,040 He's leaving a legacy of Jesus Christ. 64 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:38,800 In his example of following Jesus Christ, he's showing the 65 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:44,080 leaders of this church how one lives as a caretaker, as a 66 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:49,840 shepherd, as a leader of God's people, but he is not leaving 67 00:04:49,840 --> 00:04:53,600 them with a message of all right, go forth and make 68 00:04:53,600 --> 00:05:00,040 yourself a bunch of Paul's go and become like me. 69 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:09,000 He's saying in my example, in my example of pointing you to 70 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:15,800 Christ, my legacy is one that leaves people, leaves leaders in 71 00:05:15,800 --> 00:05:18,720 charge of the church who will do the same. 72 00:05:20,040 --> 00:05:26,040 That will not lead people to themselves, but will lead them 73 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:33,520 to Christ. Most of the time in Acts, even 74 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,840 even in some of the letters, the Paulian letters that we have in 75 00:05:36,840 --> 00:05:41,720 the New Testament, we see Paul as as the evangelist, as the 76 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:45,080 proclaimer and, and yes, right, rightly so. 77 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:50,480 A lot of our Christology is informed by the spirit inspired 78 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:53,520 words that Paul penned in the New Testament. 79 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,280 Here he's charging the leaders and shepherds as their leader in 80 00:05:58,280 --> 00:06:05,680 shepherd, as ones who are mature, as ones who know Many of 81 00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:10,800 these things should be familiar to them and should be reminders. 82 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:16,160 He first calls attention to himself in verse 18. 83 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,160 You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time, 84 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,800 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with 85 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:26,520 trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews. 86 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:32,120 They've witnessed it. They've seen his work amidst 87 00:06:32,160 --> 00:06:40,000 affliction, amidst imprisonment. He's testifying, he's saying, 88 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:44,160 I've, I've had one of the self-serving moments, right? 89 00:06:44,280 --> 00:06:51,960 No one's more humble than me. But he's not pointing to his 90 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,320 humility. He needs this humility. 91 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:00,080 He needs that humble posture in order to serve the Lord. 92 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:06,360 If he doesn't set himself and his own pride aside first, he 93 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:10,040 can't serve the Lord and and have him be the first and 94 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:13,080 greatest thing in his life. If if Paul's life is still the 95 00:07:13,080 --> 00:07:19,560 greatest thing in his life. So he clues them in on what they 96 00:07:19,560 --> 00:07:24,520 must do to continue properly serving the church and serving 97 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:34,880 God with all humility, not, not pressed back against the tears, 98 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,840 against the trials. He kind of gives them the full 99 00:07:37,840 --> 00:07:41,680 picture of this Is it the life that I've lived? 100 00:07:43,040 --> 00:07:46,280 This is what you signed up for. Now this is what it's going to 101 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:51,960 be. But serve the Lord, not for 102 00:07:51,960 --> 00:07:55,040 yourself. Serve Him in all humility, 103 00:07:56,040 --> 00:07:59,800 preserving you through the tears and trials and the plots of my 104 00:07:59,800 --> 00:08:01,800 enemies. How I did not shrink from 105 00:08:01,800 --> 00:08:05,800 declaring to you anything that was profitable subtext for their 106 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:10,720 faith and teaching you in public and from house to house. 107 00:08:12,080 --> 00:08:15,280 He highlights to them how this wasn't this wasn't a Country 108 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,240 Club. We've done we've proclaimed 109 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:21,360 Jesus out in the streets. Yes, we've taken time in the 110 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:25,200 shelter of households and we've built close knit community and 111 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:29,480 we've done this together, but also we haven't shrunk away from 112 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:33,080 declaring this out in the public, out in the streets, 113 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:37,280 testifying to both Jews and Greeks, any people that we come 114 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:39,840 across. This is how I've done it and 115 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:45,120 this is how you are now to continue the ministry that Jesus 116 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:48,640 Christ has started in me and in this early church. 117 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:55,320 This is how the church multiplies with boldness in fear 118 00:08:55,320 --> 00:09:00,360 of threat and persecution, with boldness in face of social 119 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,080 awkwardness. Or these people aren't like me, 120 00:09:03,080 --> 00:09:05,320 or these people aren't from here. 121 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:10,560 No, not he didn't make any qualifications for yeah, you can 122 00:09:10,560 --> 00:09:13,960 leave those people out because they're different from you. 123 00:09:14,280 --> 00:09:16,920 You can leave those people out because they might not want to 124 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,360 hear about this Jesus and they might hate you for that. 125 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:24,200 No, he says. They're going to hate you for it 126 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:26,000 and you still need to proclaim it. 127 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:28,840 They're not going to like you for it. 128 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,280 You're going to have tears and trials amidst friends and 129 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:40,360 family, but that isn't more important than testifying to the 130 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:46,840 goodness of God's grace. So he says, I'm going to 131 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,720 Jerusalem constrained by the Spirit. 132 00:09:49,720 --> 00:09:54,600 This is that no longer a slave to fear but slave to Christ sort 133 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:58,680 of mentality. He he doesn't have a choice. 134 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:06,480 He's so sold out for Jesus. He's so sold out for the mission 135 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:08,560 of the gospel that he is compelled. 136 00:10:08,560 --> 00:10:15,320 There is no other choice or way for him to go and he even 137 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,800 acknowledges. I don't know how this is going 138 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,520 to pan out. We're we're that's so 139 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,000 countercultural to to our thinking or even to societal 140 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:28,280 thinking. We want to know how something's 141 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:33,720 going to end up, whether it's a relationship that we enter into 142 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:38,920 a a business endeavor, heck, even going out for a meal, like 143 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,960 to some degree, we want to know that what we order is going to 144 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,480 be good, right? Like or or. 145 00:10:45,520 --> 00:10:52,360 We'd rather not order it. We want that certainty, but 146 00:10:52,360 --> 00:10:54,800 there's no room for faith in that. 147 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:05,920 He's not fearful of the unknown because he knows the one who is 148 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:12,720 beside and before him, the only thing he does know. 149 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:19,120 Verse 23 is that the Holy Spirit testifies to Him, testifies to 150 00:11:19,120 --> 00:11:21,920 me in every city, that imprisonment and afflictions 151 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:26,200 await me. He's leaning on this power in 152 00:11:26,200 --> 00:11:28,400 the face of afflictions, in the face of imprisonment. 153 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:33,000 I know that there is a greater sustainer, preserver and power 154 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:39,560 with me, so I need not fear. I need not fear the things that 155 00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:44,120 might assault or assail me or that are unknown because as we 156 00:11:44,120 --> 00:11:49,760 talked about last week, God is not unknown to him. 157 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:55,880 He knows the Spirit who walks beside him. 158 00:11:55,880 --> 00:12:01,720 He knows the work of Jesus Christ that keeps him safe and 159 00:12:01,720 --> 00:12:08,680 secure. So he need not fear even amidst 160 00:12:08,680 --> 00:12:13,880 the unknown. And all of this informs this 161 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:17,560 next sentence that he says. And this again sounds radical 162 00:12:17,560 --> 00:12:20,600 and wild for any of us to actually declare in this moment. 163 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,840 But this is the example that Paul is setting. 164 00:12:23,240 --> 00:12:27,640 I do not account my life of any value, nor as precious to 165 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:36,770 myself. How many of us in this room 166 00:12:37,530 --> 00:12:43,640 wholeheartedly agree with that statement can declare those same 167 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:50,040 words from Paul? I've already been selfish today. 168 00:12:52,760 --> 00:12:59,440 I've I've put things for me above a lot of other things 169 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,320 already today. My life means a lot to me. 170 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:17,760 And we need to rewire that thinking. 171 00:13:21,040 --> 00:13:24,880 Paul declares I don't account my life of any value. 172 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:29,920 The only thing I do value if only I may finish my course and 173 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,640 the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify 174 00:13:32,640 --> 00:13:35,520 to the gospel of the grace of God. 175 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,920 There's a little irony in these verses because as he's 176 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,320 testifying as he has this strength and he and then this 177 00:13:47,560 --> 00:13:51,880 counter cultural thinking to not have himself above all things, 178 00:13:54,760 --> 00:14:00,040 Christians, people of God, unbelievers in this room. 179 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:08,080 There's a part of this ministry. There's a part of your ministry 180 00:14:08,280 --> 00:14:11,760 in your personal faith with God, in your family, with your 181 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:14,600 friends, with your coworkers, whoever it might be. 182 00:14:15,560 --> 00:14:21,880 At some point in there you need to continually testify to the 183 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,720 gospel of God's grace to yourself. 184 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:32,880 You need to remind yourself of the goodness of God's grace for 185 00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:37,640 you to strengthen you with that message to bring to others. 186 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:43,680 And as you do that, as you remind yourself of God's 187 00:14:43,680 --> 00:14:46,680 strength and God's goodness and God's plan. 188 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,200 I think that's how Paul arrives on this. 189 00:14:50,920 --> 00:14:58,560 My life is not of any value. His eyes are so set and fixed on 190 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:04,480 the gospel of grace that as as the Hemness wrote, the things of 191 00:15:04,480 --> 00:15:12,160 earth grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace. 192 00:15:17,770 --> 00:15:23,010 That's how we do it, through the power, through the words in the 193 00:15:23,010 --> 00:15:26,530 Bible here, testifying and reminding ourselves. 194 00:15:26,530 --> 00:15:30,290 Because we forget, right? We're so easily swayed by 195 00:15:30,290 --> 00:15:34,570 passing moments by minor annoyances. 196 00:15:37,080 --> 00:15:40,920 Church, we need to combat those with the goodness of God. 197 00:15:41,360 --> 00:15:46,960 The person that cut you off in traffic or the the coffee order 198 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,680 that wasn't exactly how you wanted it at Starbucks. 199 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:53,400 Those aren't the things that we should be focusing on in our 200 00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:56,520 day. They should not be the things 201 00:15:56,520 --> 00:16:03,880 that unfix our eyes from Jesus. We need to remind and remember 202 00:16:04,000 --> 00:16:09,320 and testify to ourselves this gospel of God's grace so it 203 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,240 equips, encourages, and strengthens us to do the same 204 00:16:13,280 --> 00:16:20,240 for others. Then Paul acknowledges, This is 205 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,280 it. These are my last words. 206 00:16:22,280 --> 00:16:25,520 Behold, I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about 207 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:29,120 proclaiming the Kingdom, will see my face again. 208 00:16:30,400 --> 00:16:33,120 This is it, this is the end. This is what you got. 209 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:35,040 This is what I'm leaving you with. 210 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:39,240 So therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of 211 00:16:39,240 --> 00:16:42,560 the blood of all. But I did not shrink from 212 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:46,400 declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 213 00:16:48,920 --> 00:16:54,040 This is a really critical passage to understand because as 214 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:58,640 we share our faith with others, as, as Christians who share our 215 00:16:58,640 --> 00:17:02,480 faith with others, even me right now, if there are those of you 216 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,920 in this room that I'm talking to who don't believe the things 217 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:14,200 that I'm saying up here, I feel as I evangelize, as I preach, I 218 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,240 feel a semblance of responsibility for your 219 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:22,359 salvation. I feel responsible to say these 220 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:26,319 things correctly, to articulate them in a way that you can 221 00:17:26,319 --> 00:17:31,200 understand and ultimately in a way that changes your life. 222 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:41,000 Paul is stating I've done that. I've given you the whole gospel. 223 00:17:41,320 --> 00:17:44,840 I've done it in a way that you can understand, that is true to 224 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:49,440 God's Word and God's meaning, and it's not on me. 225 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,280 I was faithful to proclaim this gospel. 226 00:17:57,280 --> 00:18:00,440 It is now for you to know. And he says I did. 227 00:18:00,520 --> 00:18:03,760 I did not shrink from declaring you the whole counsel of God. 228 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,040 There are there are parts in his letters. 229 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:12,880 If you read parts of the New Testament, all comes out 230 00:18:12,880 --> 00:18:17,000 swinging for some of these young churches that have strayed from 231 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:18,880 the ways of God. He beats them up. 232 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,320 He lets them know where they've gone wrong and how they need to 233 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:25,840 come back to the things that are true and the things that are 234 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:28,080 real. Paul saying, I did not shrink 235 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,520 from declaring to you the whole counsel of God, not just the 236 00:18:32,120 --> 00:18:34,400 grace ever abounds and God is love. 237 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,960 No, there's, there's some law in there. 238 00:18:37,600 --> 00:18:41,040 There are some precepts and some designs and some commands from 239 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:43,480 God that are in there for your good. 240 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:47,320 And I didn't, I didn't pull back from those. 241 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:48,840 I didn't, I didn't leave those out. 242 00:18:49,040 --> 00:18:51,880 So you guys would like me. So you guys would love me and 243 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,800 just and just think that I'm lovey dovey Care Bear Paul all 244 00:18:55,800 --> 00:19:05,420 the time. Chris and I aspire for that each 245 00:19:05,420 --> 00:19:08,540 week too. I know we're not here to beat 246 00:19:08,540 --> 00:19:12,780 you up, but we're also not here to give you a pep talk. 247 00:19:19,440 --> 00:19:24,240 We're here to proclaim what we've been brought to believe 248 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:31,640 about the absolute truth of the Word of God, and it is not our 249 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:40,160 place to edit or select parts of it that make the whole thing 250 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,960 seem great. Paul's even admitted a couple 251 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,280 times in this passage. You saw me work through the 252 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:48,400 tears and trials. You saw me work in the 253 00:19:48,400 --> 00:19:53,880 imprisonments. I've said to you, Paul is 254 00:19:53,880 --> 00:19:58,400 saying, I've, I've said to you, this isn't a life of luxury. 255 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,520 This isn't a life of comfort. This is a life for Christ. 256 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:13,840 And he ultimately rests on the very end of this sermon. 257 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:23,920 And now I commend to you God and to the word of his grace. 258 00:20:23,920 --> 00:20:29,640 I now commend you to God. To the word of His grace, which 259 00:20:29,640 --> 00:20:33,840 is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among 260 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:43,900 all those who are sanctified. A couple weeks ago I had a jar 261 00:20:44,420 --> 00:20:46,860 up here. If you were here, maybe you've 262 00:20:46,860 --> 00:20:50,820 seen the analogy before. An empty jar, three big rocks in 263 00:20:50,820 --> 00:20:53,900 it. I asked if it was full. 264 00:20:54,540 --> 00:20:57,700 Some of you said it was full, and then I proceeded to pour 265 00:20:57,700 --> 00:21:02,040 some smaller rocks, some sand and some water in there and 266 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:10,760 filled it up, saying that it wasn't really full with just the 267 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:20,160 three big rocks in there. At the end of this sermon, Paul, 268 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:30,760 who wasn't married, didn't have immediate family, had cast aside 269 00:21:30,760 --> 00:21:36,360 the life as as a Jewish enforcer and person of high standing, 270 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:41,040 persecuting the church. He was in power in society, an 271 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,320 important person and a powerful person. 272 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:54,040 Paul didn't really have any of the things that I think we're 273 00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:59,440 taught to to desire for or or are markers of a successful 274 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:06,160 life. Get married, have children, get 275 00:22:06,160 --> 00:22:12,000 a good job, have a good emergency fund and rainy day in 276 00:22:12,000 --> 00:22:15,360 retirement for yourself and you did it. 277 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:22,240 Mission accomplished. None of those things are bad. 278 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:25,360 I'm saying that that we have constraints in life that yes, 279 00:22:25,360 --> 00:22:27,960 OK, need to care well for my wife, need to care well for my 280 00:22:27,960 --> 00:22:30,000 children. It's good to have a job and a 281 00:22:30,000 --> 00:22:32,080 calling and responsibility, sure. 282 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:44,160 But for Paul, he had God, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and the 283 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:48,320 word of his grace. Those were the three big things 284 00:22:48,320 --> 00:23:01,760 in his jar and his jar was full. But those three things, Paul's 285 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:10,720 telling the elders, these are the things that I have anchored 286 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,320 and founded my life and calling and ministry on for the sake of 287 00:23:15,400 --> 00:23:19,600 Jesus. And they are more than enough 288 00:23:19,600 --> 00:23:24,560 for all of your life, even to the point I'm leaving you. 289 00:23:24,680 --> 00:23:26,200 I'm never going to see you again. 290 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:30,720 But I commend you to God and to His Word because in those things 291 00:23:30,720 --> 00:23:37,560 you are secure in His care. Those things are enough for me 292 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,720 to be confident in leaving you, because ultimately you're in 293 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:46,040 God's hands now, which are far more capable than mine. 294 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,360 I'm going to share something that I hope is encouraging to 295 00:23:55,360 --> 00:23:59,160 you church. It's not violating 296 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,360 confidentiality. I don't think elders, you can. 297 00:24:02,840 --> 00:24:04,720 I can maybe be in trouble later, but I think it's fine. 298 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:10,440 I don't think it's anything specific that shouldn't be 299 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,680 shared. We had an elder board meeting 300 00:24:12,680 --> 00:24:16,000 yesterday. We meet once a month as 301 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:22,880 Shepherds, leaders, those tasked with encouraging and building up 302 00:24:22,880 --> 00:24:29,760 this church. And we've been working on some 303 00:24:29,760 --> 00:24:34,880 questions for the future, for our vision, for our mission, and 304 00:24:34,880 --> 00:24:38,880 just making sure that our culture as a church is aligned 305 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:41,400 with those things because we can, we can say some things, we 306 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:46,680 can put some words out there, but if they're not reflected by 307 00:24:46,680 --> 00:24:49,600 the church that people experience when they interact 308 00:24:49,600 --> 00:24:52,960 with us or when they come in these doors, culture always 309 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:56,440 wins, right? More so than the word. 310 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:59,840 So do the words that we're saying, do they match up with 311 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,000 the actions that the family, the community that is here? 312 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:06,640 Can we reconcile those things and make sure that they are 313 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:12,640 aligned? And in this discussion, in 314 00:25:12,640 --> 00:25:16,240 answering questions of, of what we want or what we're not going 315 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:21,320 to compromise or, or what needs to be first and foremost, what's 316 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:28,800 going to continue to sustain God's church here at ERC. 317 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:36,760 The first thing that was on the hearts and minds of your elders 318 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:45,000 is the question, how do we make sure that the people who call 319 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,280 our church home are in the word of God? 320 00:25:53,480 --> 00:25:56,840 Not Were there 400 people at the pool party? 321 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:01,160 How did Coffee with Moms in the Park go? 322 00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,080 If there were there 30 people there, should we scrap that? 323 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:11,080 How did family fun night go? What did we do at Youth group on 324 00:26:11,080 --> 00:26:17,240 Wednesday? All those things filter out of 325 00:26:17,240 --> 00:26:21,640 the Word of God. But the thing first and foremost 326 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:26,520 for the shepherds who care for your church here are, is, are 327 00:26:26,520 --> 00:26:30,680 our people in God's Word? And how do we make sure that we 328 00:26:30,680 --> 00:26:34,880 are encouraging them to be founded in that? 329 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:41,800 Those two things are Christology and ecclesiology. 330 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:47,080 Christology, what we believe about Christ, has to be founded 331 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:49,520 in the word. If it's founded anywhere else, 332 00:26:49,520 --> 00:26:56,320 it's not really about Christ. Ecclesiology is the belief of of 333 00:26:56,320 --> 00:27:01,640 what we do as a church and what we believe about Christ should 334 00:27:01,640 --> 00:27:13,520 inform what we do as a church. So in these things, Paul compels 335 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:17,600 the elders in Ephesus. You're in the care of God. 336 00:27:18,600 --> 00:27:22,880 You're in the care of his word, which is able to build you up 337 00:27:22,880 --> 00:27:25,360 and give you the inheritance among all those who are 338 00:27:25,360 --> 00:27:35,560 sanctified. 2000 years. I don't think the message has 339 00:27:35,560 --> 00:27:46,400 changed, at least not here. Chris and I aren't here to make 340 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:52,920 a Church of Christmas and maths, not even here to make a church 341 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:58,720 full of Paul's striving to follow in the example of Paul in 342 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:04,200 pursuing Jesus Christ. We do that best when we're in 343 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:13,400 His Word. So for you church, what does 344 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:19,280 that look like? How excited are you daily to 345 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:30,960 dive into these pages? It is able to build you up, to 346 00:28:30,960 --> 00:28:34,320 give you a sanctified inheritance. 347 00:28:37,120 --> 00:28:40,480 Even without me, even without Chris, even without any of the 348 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:46,400 other people in this room, if you had nothing but the Spirit 349 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:49,920 and a Bible in your hands, you have everything. 350 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,640 I'm not saying those other things are bad. 351 00:28:56,720 --> 00:29:02,280 I'm not saying they detract from our life, but let's not let our 352 00:29:02,280 --> 00:29:06,360 eyes get jealous. Let's not let our eyes be taken 353 00:29:06,400 --> 00:29:12,920 off the prize. Then even when the rest of the 354 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:23,120 jar looks empty, with our God, with His Word and His Spirit, 355 00:29:24,920 --> 00:29:27,280 there might be gaps. There might be spaces in there, 356 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,040 but that life is full. Amen. 357 00:29:36,840 --> 00:29:39,080 Thanks for listening to ERC Sundays. 358 00:29:39,400 --> 00:29:42,560 To support the work God is doing an Emmaus Rd. church, visit 359 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,520 emmausrdonline.org/giving.