BIG IDEA:
PASTORAL MINISTRY MUST FOLLOW THE APOSTOLIC PATTERN
INTRODUCTION:
Bible conferences can be a special time for believers. I remember the privilege of taking in one of the Shepherds Conferences hosted by Dr John MacArthur out in California – a wonderful lineup of distinguished speakers who had much to offer the assembled group of pastors. Now imagine cranking that experience up to an unbelievably higher level and you have the type of unique pastors’ conference that the Apostle Paul hosted for the elders from Ephesus as he gathered them to himself at the port city of Miletus.
These were men that Paul had discipled for a period of three years and then appointed to care for God’s precious flock. Paul had poured his life into these leaders as well as his doctrine. He had great expectations for their future ministry. Now Paul is on his farewell tour and has one last opportunity to communicate to them face to face. His insights and reminders and warnings and exhortations in this context should guide our pastoral ministry today.
Our own emphasis on plurality of elder church government has highlighted many of the same principles featured here. This passage is close to my heart because of how deep my convictions run in these areas. We have had a lot of teaching in these same areas from our studies in 1 Thessalonians and in the Book of Nehemiah – both books focusing on a variety of leadership issues. So hopefully much of this will be review for us … but remember that what is believed in evangelical church circles today about these principles still needs to be faithfully practiced.
PASTORAL MINISTRY MUST FOLLOW THE APOSTOLIC PATTERN
Many people do not even buy into this central premise. They think that the Holy Spirit is giving them better insight today into how the church should be structured for our times and that the consistent example we see in Acts and in the Epistles is just anecdotal rather than binding. But Paul points back to the course of his ministry as the pattern for these leaders. They are exhorted to pick up the baton of spiritual leadership and faithfully pass it along to future generations.
I. (:17-21) PASTORAL TRACK RECORD OF A CONSISTENT, HUMBLE, CARING, PERSEVERING, PROFITABLE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD
A. (:17) Staging the Pastors Conference
“And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”
Longenecker: At Miletus the coastal boat docked for a number of days to load and unload cargo.
Stott: As the crow flies, Ephesus was only thirty miles north of Miletus, but the rather circuitous road was longer. It must have taken about three days for a messenger to travel to Ephesus and bring the elders back to Miletus.
Paul had established a leadership structure in the local churches; had not left them just floundering without pastoral care
Elders (:17) = Pastors (:28) = Bishops (:28) – the top level of church leadership
No distinction of office between Teaching Elders and Ruling Elders
Plural elders; singular church at Ephesus
Reviewing His Record – Follow my example is his core message here; be careful how you build and follow my blueprint – 1 Cor. 3:10-11
B. (:18) Consistent Track Record of Personal Discipleship
“And when they had come to him, he said to them, ‘You yourselves know, from the first day that I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time,’”
did not have any difficulty getting the elders to show up for this conference
1 Thess. 1:5 “for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction, just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake”
Tone here may be apologetic (Paul may be under attack from some who were undermining his ministry;) definitely he wants to instruct them in how to continue to carry on the ministry in Ephesus
Consistent ministry – did not get off to a slow start in Asia – was the same person from day one until now
“with you” – when Jesus chose His disciples – one of the expressed goals was that they might be with Him; transparent life; not just classroom instruction
Zeisler: There is a form of leadership that insists on distance between the superior and the inferior. Directions are spoken from a high tower, and important statements are issued on official stationery. There is little connection between the one who has authority and the people who receive his word. In God’s kingdom there is no notion of Christian leadership that is merely authoritarian without relationship. It can’t work.
C. (:19a) Humble Track Record of Spiritual Service
“serving the Lord with all humility”
Is. 66:2 “This is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
James 4:6 “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Pride is what brings down more spiritual leaders than any other sin. Pride makes it extremely difficult to have the proper functioning of a plurality of elder form of church government = a biblical form.
C. J. Mahaney: Humility is honestly assessing ourselves in light of God’s holiness and our sinfulness. . . Pride is when sinful human beings aspire to the status and position of God and refuse to acknowledge their dependence upon Him. . .
[True Greatness depends on a right view of the cross.] What a powerful death! The cross ransoms, the cross liberates, the cross transforms! So make it your aim and lifelong habit, when you see someone who’s serving, to be reminded of the sacrifice of the Savior, for apart from His sacrifice there is no serving. True greatness is attained only by emulating the Savior’s example – and made possible only by the Savior’s sacrifice.
Boice: Humility is important, of course, because the opposite of humility is pride, and pride is a great danger for those who are in prominent positions of church leadership. It is a danger for anyone, but it is particularly dangerous for those who stand up and talk, at least if they are effective doing it . . .”
MacArthur: As capable as he was, as astute as he was, as much of a man of knowledge, he was humble. Verse 9 of 1 Corinthians 15 expresses it, “For I am the least of the apostles, that I’m not fit to be called an apostle, because I have persecuted the church of God. But,” he said, I like that, “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace, which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I but the grace of God which was with me.” He says I’m nothing, I don’t deserve anything, but I am what I am by the grace of God. And as long as he had that attitude, people, he served the Lord with humility.
D. (:19b) Caring Track Record of Empathy and Affection
“and with tears”
Two possibilities here:
– emphasis on tears is combined with the next point which deals with Paul’s own struggles and hardships;
– or more probably these are tears expended on behalf of others; the burden Paul feels for all the young believers as he ministers to them
Boice: He learned to identify with those to whom he ministered.
Man of compassion and empathy; large heart; had a bond of affection and love for the believers
Rom. 12:15 “rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep”
E. (:19c) Persevering Track Record in the Midst of Persecution
“and with trials which came upon me through the plots of the Jews;”
goes way beyond the normal hardships one would experience in life; Paul has large groups of enemies who are conspiring against him to physically harm him and squash his ministry
F. (:20-21) Profitable Proclamation of the Gospel of the Grace of God – Both Publicly and Privately
“how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Look at the boldness and courage of the Apostle Paul; his commitment to the sufficiency of God’s Truth; his loyalty to the gospel message
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1 Thess: 2:1-12 message
SUPERNATURAL BOLDNESS IN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL REQUIRES PURE MOTIVES AND PROPER CONDUCT (THE MARKS OF SPIRIT-FILLED CHURCH PLANTERS)
1. (:1-2) SUPERNATURAL BOLDNESS IN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN THE CONTEXT OF PERSECUTION
c. Perseverance Despite Persecution is the Key
2. (:3-6) SUPERNATURAL BOLDNESS IN PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL REQUIRES PURE MOTIVES
CHECKLIST OF PURE MOTIVES
a. Three Negatives — Integrity of Ministry — Not:
1) “from error” — source of Paul’s message was not the product of deception or illusion
2) “from impurity” — not associated with sexual impurity
(many of the religions of the day had sexual rituals);
possibly a reference to integrity of motivation as well
3) “by way of deceit” — not using tricky or crafty methods
b. One Positive — Confident Sense of God’s Commission
c. One Main Contrast — Our Primary Orientation
“not as pleasing men but God, who examines our hearts”
d. Three More Negatives — Unselfish Approach
1) not with “flattering speech” — manipulating people
2) not with a “pretext for greed”
3) not “seeking glory from men”
3. (:7-12) PAUL’S PICTURE OF THREE ROLE MODELS THAT ILLUSTRATE PROPER CONDUCT IN THE MINISTRY
a. (:7-8) Gentleness and Tender Care of a Loving Mother
1) Gentleness
“But we proved to be gentle among you”
2) Tender Care
“as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children”
3) Genuine Affection
“Having thus a fond affection for you”
4) Sacrificial Love
“we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us”
b. (:9) Hard Work and Self-Sufficiency of an Unselfish Sacrificial Laborer
1) Difficulty Involved
“For you recall, brethren, our labor and hardship, how working night and day”
2) Unselfishness – Necessary Task
“so as not to be a burden to any of you”
laboring with their hands for their own support so as not to be a burden and to provide a good example
3) Main Task – never lose sight of the number one objective
“we proclaimed to you the gospel of God”
c. (:10-12) Godliness and Positive Training of a Father with Vision
1) Modeled Godly Conduct
“You are witnesses, and so is God, how devoutly and uprightly and blamelessly we behaved toward you believers.”
2) Three Primary Activities = exhorting, encouraging, imploring
“just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring”
3) Impartiality and Personal Attention
“each one of you as a father would his own children”
4) His overriding Ambition
“so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.”
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II. (:22-24) PASTORAL COMMITMENT TO FINISH THE COURSE OF MINISTRY WHATEVER THE PERSONAL COST IN A MANNER HIGHLIGHTING THE GOSPEL OF THE GRACE OF GOD
A. (:22-23) Commitment to Go to Jerusalem
1. Divinely Driven
“And now, behold, bound in spirit,”
Rugh: “bound by the Holy Spirit” is the sense
Not where you would go if you were motivated by self preservation
Look how similar to the mindset of the Lord Jesus – who also set His face to go to Jerusalem, knowing what type of death awaited him there
2. Details Deprived
“I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there,”
uncertain future when it comes to the details or outcome of what will face him in Jerusalem
3. Difficulties Destined
“except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.”
He has been given enough forewarning to know that he is heading into a context of “bonds and afflictions” – imprisonment and pain
Kent: the Spirit did not prohibit his going, but told him what would happen when he arrived
B. (:24) Commitment to Finish the Course
1. Unselfish, Courageous Mindset
“But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself,”
eternal priorities
Except a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die it remains alone …
Phil. 2:17; 3:7-14
“For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain”
Illustration from S. Lewis Johnson: There was an elderly Scottish woman who was being interviewed by the pastor to see if she could join the Scottish Presbyterian Church. And she was having a little difficulty with the questions that were asked her. And, finally, she said, “Well, Sir, I want you to know I cannot answer your hard questions; but one thing I do know, I would gladly die for him.” Well, that’s the kind of service that the Lord would love to have from all of us.
2. Unflinching, Determined Resolve
“in order that I may finish my course, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus,”
I serve Jesus as Lord; He is the Master
God gives each of us a certain scope of work to accomplish for Him; we need to use our time wisely and maximize our efforts, but He gives us the time and opportunity to complete the work He has for us; Paul at the end of his life had this assurance that he was finishing the race successfully; that he was completing his prescribed ministry
Wants to finish well
3. Unwavering, Faithful Proclamation of the Truth
“to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
Rugh: Sums up the passion of Paul; his single focus
The answer to pride; the answer to inadequacy in the ministry; the answer to everything is the grace of God; Paul taught the fundamental truths associated with the grace doctrines
III. (:25-27) PASTORAL TESTIMONY OF A CLEAR CONSCIENCE IN MINISTRY DUE TO FAITHFULLY COMMUNICATING THE WHOLE COUNSEL OF GOD
A. (:25) Final Farewell
“And now, behold, I know that all of you, among whom I went about preaching the kingdom, will see my face no more.”
B. (:26) Clear Conscience
“Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am innocent of the blood of all men.”
Ezekiel 33:1-20 The Watchman’s Duty
C. (:27) Courageous Communication
“For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.”
CONCLUSION TO PART 1:
1 Cor. 4:1-5 message – Performance Review for Christian Ministers
THE JUDGMENT OF THE LORD IS ALL THAT MATTERS WHEN IT COMES TO ULTIMATE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR CHRISTIAN MINISTRY
1. (:1) THE ROLE OF THE CHRISTIAN MINISTER – TWOFOLD JOB DESCRIPTION
“Let a man regard us in this manner”
How should Christian ministers want others to view them? What type of job description have the leaders of the church written for themselves? What are they trying to accomplish?
a. SERVANTS OF CHRIST
MacArthur: Paul expresses his humility by using a word lit. meaning “under rowers,” referring to the lowest, most menial, and most despised galley slaves, who rowed on the bottom tier of a ship (9:16; see Luk 1:2; Ac 20:19).
b. STEWARDS OF THE MYSTERIES OF GOD
2. (:1) THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE CHRISTAIN MINISTER = FAITHFULNESS = THE ONE ESSENTIAL STANDARD OF MEASUREMENT
“In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy.”
A steward is responsible for the capable administration of the property of another; hence faithfulness is the primary standard of evaluation. (2 Tim. 2:2, Acts 20:27)