How wise is it to approach tragedy with pride?

April 28, 2013 Evening:

Title: How Can We Stand the Just Retribution of God?

Old Testament Passage: Deuteronomy 6:10-15 – lest the anger of the Lord your God be kindled against you

Gospel Passage: John 10:14-21 – Can a demon open the eyes of the blind

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:2 – and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution,

Sermon Point: Christ has taken the consequences of covenant failure upon Himself so that we might be reconciled to God and have life.

2:2 … and every transgression or disobedience

One of the gospel functions of the Law of Moses was to reveal transgression to Israel. While the Law promised blessings for obedience and the curse of national destruction for transgression, our sinful flesh made the outcome of that test obvious enough.

If we were so foolish as to deceive ourselves of our ability to please God through our own merits, the history of Israel should have convinced us of the impossibility of peace with God through Law. Centuries of failure gave amply testimony to our need for an obedient Savior who would be able to purchase the church of God with His own blood.

But in a day when we seem very resistant to any correction it is hard to envision the shock, either personal or societal, that would cause us to humble ourselves before God. We are far more ready to shake our fist toward heaven and to respond to every challenge with overwhelming pride.

We should embrace this fact about the Law: It revealed to us many transgressions that we have committed. Not only that, the Law demands a record of righteousness, rather than merely a sentence of “not guilty.” Do you see the difference? Even if there were no evidence of sin in our lives, that would not be enough for us to have peace with God. The Lord demands evidence of righteousness, even perfect righteousness.

received a just retribution,

The result of our guilt and our lack of positive evidence of perfect obedience, is that we deserve, according to the Law of God, a just retribution. In the kingdom of Israel, the civil requirements of God's Law were to be strictly followed. Misdeeds like murder and perjury required not only a verdict, but also the administration of the appropriate penalty.

The Law required this consistency and follow-through. It was a serious Word from God. But what of those violations of the Law that no man could ever prove? Would the Lord ignore our pride and covetousness? What would He do about the fact that those who were called by His Name refused to humble themselves before Him? How could we stand His cross-examination if we were charged with not loving Him with all our everything?

We are guilty of gross neglect of the moral law of God. But there is a Redeemer, Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, who has supplied everything that we lacked, and who took the penalty for our sins that we deserved.

But now, how will we stand if we act as if He and His Word are not serious enough for us as to demand our honest humility of worship and our earnest spiritual living? Our response to national tragedy and personal loss cannot be pride. We must humble ourselves before the Lord, seeking His face, and finding our joy from His presence and promises, which are our strength. Only then will we be able to overcome evil with good.

Who needs parents anyway?

The Ambivalence of Christians Concerning Spiritual Care

(Acts 20:28-31, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 28, 2013)

[28] Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

The apostle Paul was addressing the overseers of the church in Ephesus. God intends that His people know Him personally, but He does not direct us to gain this knowledge of Him independently from others in the body of Christ.

We need one another. But will we listen to the Word together, expecting that God will lead His church together, using the gifts of many different people? Can we accept the fact that some would be overseers who are also called elders in this chapter? These have a special responsibility before God for the spiritual oversight of the flock and for the direction of the congregation as a whole. (Hebrews 13:17)

There are normally multiple elders in a congregation, but there is only one God-Man who has obtained the church with His own blood. He is our one Master. The others who are in leadership are called to serve us for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)

These men needed to consider carefully their calling from God. If they wanted to serve well, they would need to pay careful attention not only to the life and behavior of others, but especially to their own condition, not only individually, but as a group. Would they be willing to consider the Word of God carefully and to follow where God would lead the way? Would they be willing to listen to one another and to the church, loving one another in Jesus' Name?

[29] I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; [30] and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.

Most of the problems that we face in the churches in this missionary environment come from the neglect of these basic Christian duties among the church leaders that God has given to the churches. When they forget how to listen to the Lord together and how to care for each other as a band of consecrated brothers, they soon lose their ability to lead the church of Jesus Christ.

Paul was not naïve concerning the church. He knew of his own sin, and recognized the possibility that leaders of the sheep might soon reveal themselves to be wolves rather than shepherds. Whether these offending elders would be new men or even some of the very leaders who were listening to his voice at that moment, the end result would be the same. They would not spare the flock.

The leaders of the church cannot devolve into a boys club that protect their own. They serve the Chief Shepherd who laid down His life for the sheep. Some forget that they are not gathering disciples based on their own merits or for their own glory. Such men are not making disciples for Jesus, but are eager to take disciples away from Jesus so that they would have their own cult.

Such men will not spare the flock. They love themselves and not the flock. Their first concern is their own honor and not the honor of Jesus. But Christ was willing to be counted as nothing in the eyes of the proud in order to accomplish our salvation.

The favorite method of such self-centered teachers is their own twisted teaching. They do not see the whole counsel of God clearly, missing the eternal purpose of God in Jesus Christ. They speak twisted things, even using the Bible for their own agenda.

[31] Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.

God has granted us mechanisms of oversight in the church in order to resist leaders that are rebelling against His Son. But the church must stay alert, dedicated to the truth, and open to the correction that may come to us from others in the household of faith.

Paul had spent three years, night and day, being an ambassador of the truth of the Lord to all who would receive the Word of God. But He knew that any church was only one generation away from losing the integrity of the way of Christ.

This passage is one of several in the Bible that provides the church with an important legacy of leaders and leadership mechanisms established by the King who came not to be serve, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. But no system of church government can save the church from proud men and women that have forgotten who they are in Jesus Christ.

We can hear verses like this and inwardly applaud the way that the Lord has provided a good system of spiritual oversight for us. We can be thankful for the men of character and love that he has granted who want to follow the Word of the Lord by the power of the Holy Spirit. But will we change our minds when they come to us with some concern? Even strong Christians can be deeply ambivalent about spiritual care when they want to have their own way. Spiritual oversight is fine, that is, for other people, and at some respectable distance. But are we willing to yield to any other human being when we are bent on going our own way.

The truth is that leaders can and have been abusive, but that does not give us the right to reject all fatherhood in the family circle or to abandon the concept of loving spiritual authority in the church. We have not set up the system of undershepherds within the New Testament Church. This came from the Good Shepherd Himself. He will build His church His way.

When does godly leadership cross the line into heavy-handed abuse? Elders have no right to lead others in obedience to directions which the King has not spoken to us through the Scriptures.

But there are two ways for elders to abuse their God-given leadership in the house of God. One we have mentioned, running ahead of the king. The second is also troubling, falling so far beyond the king that there is no sense that Jesus reigns.

There is no way that any of this works unless the Lord fills His people with the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit who makes godly overseers. It is also the Holy Spirit who makes true disciples who are able to hear the voice of the King in the midst of a loving church.

The way of the flesh is plain. We can all just figure out what everybody wants and then do our best to give it to them. That may be a solid way to run a business, but it is not way a healthy kingdom works. Citizens in the kingdom of God learn how to hear the voice of God together and to follow the only Redeemer of God's elect.

Old Testament Passage: Deuteronomy 6:4-9 – You shall teach them diligently to your children

Gospel Passage: John 10:11-15 – I am the Good Shepherd

Sermon Text: Acts 20:25-27 – The Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood

Sermon Point: Loving spiritual oversight is an expression of the fatherly care of the Good Shepherd for His sheep.

Judas or Jesus? Unbelief or Faith?

April 21, 2013 Evening:

Title: The Reliability of the Old Testament

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 37:10-11 – The wicked will be no more... But the meek...

Gospel Passage: John 6:70-71 – Did I not choose you, the Twelve? And yet...

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:2 For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable,

Sermon Point: The Old Testament Word of God proved reliable. Example – Christ suffers betrayal of a friend, yet lives. The reliability of the Old Testament is one of the keys to our assurance that the Bible is the Word of God.

[2] For since the message declared by angels

God's Law was given through the ministry of angels. We know that conclusively through several passages in the New Testament including the following:

Acts 7:51-53:

[51] “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. [52] Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, [53] you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Galatians 3:15-19:

[15] To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. [16] Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. [17] This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. [18] For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. [19] Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary.

This work of angels in the giving of the Law is hinted at in Deuteronomy 33:1-5:

[33:1] This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed the people of Israel before his death. [2] He said,
“The LORD came from Sinai
and dawned from Seir upon us;
he shone forth from Mount Paran;
he came from the ten thousands of holy ones,
with flaming fire at his right hand.
[3] Yes, he loved his people,
all his holy ones were in his hand;
so they followed in your steps,
receiving direction from you,
[4] when Moses commanded us a law,
as a possession for the assembly of Jacob.
[5] Thus the LORD became king in Jeshurun,
when the heads of the people were gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.

There can be no doubt that the Lord had often spoken His Word through angelic representatives and messengers in both Old and New Testament. These mysterious incidents made it very difficult for the recipients of the Lord's messages to discern who was actually speaking. Was it God Himself or an angel? Though the Word might come through an angel, the message was surely the message of Almighty God.

proved to be reliable,

These messages, and indeed all the Old Testament revelation has proven to be faithful and reliable, since the matters that were spoken have come to pass. We see that throughout the Old Testament Scriptures.

One small example that we have seen recently in our journey through the historical books has to do with Ahab, Jezebel, and their descendants. The word of the Old Testament prophet regarding this king came to pass. It was a reliable and faithful Word.

Much more than any details of the life and death of any one king, that Old Testament Word proved to be reliable concerning Jesus Christ, the Messianic King of the Jews.

Consider these passages:

Psalm 2

2 Samuel 7

Psalm 110

Isaiah 53

Psalm 22

Rightly consider just this one citation that might be seen as more subtle, Psalm 104:1-5, and you will be able to see that the reliability of the teaching of Christ from the Old Testament Scriptures is not just a matter of a few selected obvious passages, but comes from the believers' pleasant and mature reflection upon thousands of passages that present a biblical hope consistent with the Lord's purpose, called by Paul in Acts 20, “the whole counsel of God.”

Psalm 103:1-5 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

The Old Testament was reliable not only about the smaller matters of one king or another of old, but about the most important matter of human history, the place of Jesus of Nazareth at the center of the entire of God's eternal purpose.

The Old word, delivered even through the ministry of angels and prophets who had been brought into heaven itself, was reliable. And this Word was solid and sure enough on matters of the faith, that all of the tenets of our ancient creeds can be proven simply from a right use of the Hebrew Scriptures informed by eyewitness events of the Son of God.

Even the details of the betrayal of Christ by a friend were included in the Old Testament Scriptures. We do not want to be in the number of that man who betrayed the Lord. We do not want to be numbered finally with Judas and the wicked in unbelief, but with Jesus and His meek ones, who shall inherit the earth.

What are you passionate about? What drives your happiness or unhappiness?

The Whole Counsel of God

(Acts 20:25-27, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 21, 2013)

[25] And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

Some of the important facts of Paul's life story were included in the Scriptures for our benefit. We need to consider how this enemy of the faith became one of its greatest proponents. Something supernatural happened to this man and it changed his life. Now, after years of sacrificial Christian service in Asia, Macedonia, and Achaia (modern Turkey and Greece), Paul was on his way to Jerusalem, well aware that he would face imprisonment and trouble there.

The proof that Paul was not a fraud was displayed in his sufferings. This was also true of Jesus. We know that He believed His message because He went to the cross willingly in order to fulfill His ministry to us. A fake would have run away before the nails had pierced His hands and feet.

Paul would suffer in that tradition. But the Christian life is not all suffering. Paul made wonderful relationships with people who were his fellow laborers for the gospel. Here in Acts 20 we feel the emotion of the moment as he is giving this final exhortation to men with whom he had spent three years, sharing his heart and his life. He knew that he would go to Jerusalem, and then on to Rome somehow. He did not expect that he would ever visit Ephesus again.

[26] Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, [27] for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

Paul wanted to say something to them at this final moment that we might consider very unusual. He intended to be very clear to them that he was innocent of their blood. What does this mean? We turn to a passage in Ezekiel in order to get a very good explanation of the duty of the Lord's ambassador.

[33:1] The word of the LORD came to me: [2] “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, [3] and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, [4] then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. [5] He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. [6] But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman's hand.
[7] “So you, son of man, I have made a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. [8] If I say to the wicked, O wicked one, you shall surely die, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from his way, that wicked person shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. [9] But if you warn the wicked to turn from his way, and he does not turn from his way, that person shall die in his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. (Ezekiel 33:1-9)

Paul had been a faithful watchman for Jews and Gentiles in Ephesus. He was innocent of the blood of all.

The way for an ambassador of Christ to be innocent of the blood of all is to tell the truth to those who will hear. There will be temptations to shrink from the truth. We cannot guarantee that everyone who hears the Word of the Lord will be willing to listen to God. That is beyond us. But we not only need to speak faithfully. We need to insist that those who would be around the table of the Lord will truly obey the Lord's Word.

There are some who will not be willing to hear at all. Others will hear and then disagree. Still others hear, approve, and then continue to disobey. We must insist that the church hear, approve, and follow the Word of the Lord.

How can this be, since we cannot force people to obey? We call them to obey. If they have a hardened and final rejection of the Lord's Word, we prohibit their participation in the Lord's Supper. Paul's instructions in 1 Corinthians 5 are helpful here:

[5:1] It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father's wife. [2] And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. (1 Corinthians 5:1-2)

We cannot force obedience on unwilling hearts, but we can insist that those who will be at the Lord's Table are not allowed to have it both ways. Let's not forget that the Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The church needs to patiently instruct and then call each other to obedience. Where this message is rejected, the one who will not repent toward God on some matter must see that he is in danger.

There is a way that seems right to a man, but one man thinking that he knows the mind of the Lord does not make it so. Paul declared to the Ephesians the whole “counsel” of God. We often use this word to mean “advice.” When the person giving counsel is God, and when the counsel comes with warnings of serious consequences for disobedience, we know that we are dealing with more than advice. God's counsel is God's purpose. We need to live according to His purpose. This is the way to understand the cross, the coming judgment, and our own lives.

Why was Paul telling all this to the Ephesian elders? The apostle would not see them again, but he expected to leave an apostolic church in Ephesus. He expected these elders to commit their way to the Lord, to trust in Him, and to teach the church in Ephesus what Paul had taught them.

Paul was innocent of their blood. Would they be innocent of the blood of those who would come into contact with the future ministry in Ephesus? Will we be innocent of the blood of those who become involved with this church in our place and time? Only if we too will be willing to teach the whole counsel of God.

How can we do this? I know of no better way than to preach and teach all of the Holy Scriptures in light of the gospel that Paul preached in His ministry to places like Corinth and Ephesus. We are not responsible to pass on all of our own intuitions. We want to teach the Scriptures in a way that people can understand God's eternal purpose in Christ and commit their way to Him.

The Law of Moses said to Israel, “Do this and live.” That was a burden that neither we nor our fathers could bear. The whole counsel of God reveals another way for us: “Live and do.” The order makes a big difference. We live in Christ and then we do what He has for us. This is grace.

Two applications:

1. For all: You are free and alive in Christ. Now freely commit your way to the Lord. Trust in Him and He will act. Order your life around the Word and understand the whole counsel of God. Let the Word direct your days according to the passions of God.
2. For those who are unhappy from self-preoccupation: We are to be unhappy about evil. Be unhappy, but do not sin. Do not give in to the unhappiness of a self-focused life. Fight this kind of unhappiness with the whole counsel of God. Remember Jesus, who is at the very center of God's purpose. Then find someone to serve in Jesus' Name and do it. This is the way for an unhappy person to follow the Lord. It is the way to be happy in Jesus.

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 37:1-9 – Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

Gospel Passage: John 6:66-69 – You have the words of eternal life

Sermon Point: The Apostolic Church confesses and lives out the whole counsel of God

Why is suffering such a major element of Christian doctrine and life?

Calculating the present value of the gospel of the grace of God

(Acts 20:22-24, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 14, 2013)

[22] And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there,

Paul had spent years primarily ministering to two major cities, Corinth and Ephesus. Now he was going to Jerusalem, the city where Jesus was put to death and rose from the dead, the city where the Holy Spirit was first poured out upon the church. Jerusalem was also the city where a much younger Saul had first hated the Christian message.

Now the Spirit of God was leading Paul back to that city. He was bringing offerings from the churches in what is today Greece and Turkey. These offerings from largely Gentile congregations would be given to Jewish Christians in Jerusalem who were facing great difficulties because of a famine in that area.

Paul did not know exactly what would happen to him in Jerusalem...

[23] except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

...Although he had been warned by spirit-filled people in all the churches where he had gathered these offerings that he would face trouble in Jerusalem, even imprisonment.

Why would Paul not be greeted as a welcome ambassador of the Christian faith bearing gifts that would help the poor? There were many people in Jerusalem who were just as Paul once was. They rejected the belief that Jesus was the Messiah. Their reasoning? How could a man who died on a cross like Jesus did be the promised Son of David? If He had risen from the dead, where was he now? If Jesus was the promised king, how could he reign from heaven? Why would he have disciples who were as lowly as Peter and John?

Many Jews had rejected the clear teaching of the Old Testament that the Messiah would not only be a glorious king, but that He would also be a suffering servant who would be lifted up on the cross to die. They also could not embrace the life of humble service that this Messiah called them to when He said, “Follow Me.” Their animosity led to violence. Paul understood from prophets in various churches that he would face much trouble in Jerusalem.

[24] But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

We might imagine that this would have led Paul to abandon his thoughts of traveling to Jerusalem. It did not. He believed that the Holy Spirit was moving him in the direction of trouble for a good purpose that would serve the cause of the gospel. Because of His commitment to the message of the grace of God, he considered his own personal comfort as a very small matter.

What was important to him? That he would finish the job that the Lord had given him when he was called. Suffering was a part of the package from the beginning both for the ambassador and the King. Paul, the ambassador of Jesus, understood the words that God had spoken to the man who baptized him. “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Jesus, his King, had faced suffering from the likes of Herod from his birth. The body of King Jesus, the church, had suffered greatly because of the hatred of men like Saul/Paul. Now Paul was ready to face his day of trouble for the sake of a message that needed to be delivered.

What is the gospel of the grace of God?

Paul was willing to suffer and die for a message. This message is called “grace.” Grace is God's favor shown to those who deserve His wrath. That good news comes to us entirely through one Suffering Servant, who lived and died for us. People don't like this plan of God, despite the fact that the message of Christ is such good news. The problem with the announcement that God has provided a righteous Substitute for us who died for our sins is that it offends our pride.

If we have no hope except for the death of the Son of God for us, then we must have a problem that we cannot solve with the gift of ourselves to God. We would prefer the absurdity of a religion that would leave us as our own Master and Savior. We need to see our great need for the mercy of God that could only come to us through the righteousness of Christ.

Why would God want that message to be promoted through the word of suffering servants?

There is something very fitting about having the message of One Suffering Servant brought to the world by a church full of suffering servants. We have been made willing servants of our great King. We are not Ahab and Jezebel, demanding what others rightly have, and insisting on our own comforts. We follow a Christ who suffered for us. We know that we do not even own ourselves any more.

In the days of ancient Israel, God made His people the stewards of His land. They were not to sell that land if the price was right. It was a part of an inheritance that was to be passed on to the next generation. All that they had was the possession of God. We who believe the gospel should understand this even more than those who served before the days of Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price that we could never have paid. We have a Redeemer who has given Himself for us.

A church that is willing to suffer for her King displays the good news of the message of Jesus with our lives. We have seen with the eyes of faith the beauty of what Christ has won for us. We have seen a spring of water welling up to eternal life, and we do not account our lives as precious to ourselves when compared to the surpassing beauty of the prize that is ours through Jesus.

When will the world see that the King who came as a suffering servant will forever be the King of glory?

Men like Saul of Tarsus once rejected the gospel as bad news for Judaism. They rejected the message of a suffering Messiah as an insult to their religious pride. They were offended by the lowliness of His method and His followers. But now, so many centuries after those early days, the offerings of many Christians are streaming into the Kingdom of God from places much further away from Jerusalem than Greece or Turkey.

Some will never see the King of Glory for who He is. But one day the blinders will be lifted off of the eyes of many who had once rejected Jesus of Nazareth as too low. They will see what has become undeniable with the passage of time. Our suffering Christ and His servants throughout the world have been used to bring the message of the precious good news of God to every people group throughout the world. What a mighty God we serve! What a joy it is to serve the Lord! The Lord is King!

Old Testament Passage: 1 Kings 21:1-16 – Ahab's lust for this fading world

Gospel Passage: John 4:7-14 – A spring of water welling up to eternal life

Sermon Text: Acts 20:22-24 – Paul's expectations of suffering and settled determination to serve the Lord

Sermon Point: An apostolic church is willing to suffer now for the proclamation of the gospel of the grace of God.

Necessary Warning

April 14, 2013 Evening:

Title: The Danger of and Remedy for Drifting Away from Jesus

Old Testament Passage: Numbers 33:55-56 – A warning to Israel

Gospel Passage: John 4:34 – Jesus' food: Doing the Father's will

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:1 – Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Sermon Point: We reformed people are not at liberty to ignore the direct teaching of the Scriptures that our paying more careful attention to what we had heard could help us.

[2:1] Therefore

The letter to the Hebrews is not an abstract theological treatise, but a pastoral plea for the souls of people that might possibly fall away from the faith that has been presented to them which they seemed to heartily embrace. It is important for the church in every age, since the risk of surprising apostasy is so very real.

we

Is it possible that we could turn away from Jesus? The author has been quoting many Scriptures that show us the supremacy of the Son of God over every other authority that might seem outwardly impressive, even glorious angels. In this first verse of the second chapter, he recognizes that we (not just “you”) are at risk.

must pay much closer attention to what we have heard,

He says that we must pay much closer attention to something. The word that is used is one that describes the care that sailors need to take when they are bringing a ship into dock. It's fine to enjoy the sun, wind, and foam on the high seas, but when that ship is being docked, best to put the rum away or the landing may not be safe.

To what do we need to pay much more careful attention in our journey of faith and obedience? Simply put, we need to have all our attention on what we have heard: the reliable witness of Jesus, His righteousness, His cross, His resurrection, and His direction to the church. This must be more to us than success in the eyes of others or own feelings of well-being.

lest we drift away from it.

Why is this so critical? We are coming to the end of what has at times been an arduous and troubling voyage. We don't want to miss the dock, and be forced out again in order to try for a second landing. We are told to pay much more careful attention to what we have heard. Drifting away can cause us to lose sight of the end of the journey that is before us even now. After a time of drifting we could begin to think that the fun of the trip is more important than the destination. That deception finds no support in the message of Jesus Christ which you have heard.

Warnings are important. They were important in the Old Testament. Do we have some reason for thinking that they are less important today? Jesus' food was to do the will of His Father. He did not imagine that all that mattered was His own entertainment. The way was difficult for Him. But He continued to the end. He did not drift away from what He had heard.

Our safety is assured in Him. But this does not mean that we don't need to heed warnings when we hear them. The opposite is the case. The warnings are a part of God's grace. We are moved by them in our hearts. We need to be moved by them in our lives.

Cross Unto Glory

An Apostolic Church: Toward God

(Acts 20:17-21, Preaching: Pastor Stephen Magee, April 7, 2013)

[17] Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. [18] And when they came to him, he said to them:

We return now to the book of Acts. But in returning to Paul we do not forget about Jesus. And in remembering Jesus, we remember His death and resurrection.

Paul had determined that he should not make a lengthy visit again to Ephesus. Yet he wanted another opportunity to say some final words to the Ephesian elders. We want to take a very careful look at these words over the next several weeks.

“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, [19] serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews;

Paul was very consciously speaking to men to whom he had given himself during his prior time in Ephesus. He was calling them to a life of service. Where did this idea come from? We follow the ultimate Suffering Servant, Jesus Christ. His pathway to glory went through the cross. He calls us to follow Him. There are many reasons why we cannot afford to forget about the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the less obvious reasons why we hold to these truths is that they have become for the church not only doctrines, but a way of life.

We, like Paul, are disciples of Jesus Christ. Paul displayed the Christian life before these men. And these men were to display this life in front of many in the church. They in turn would live the life of cross unto glory before thousands. Cross unto glory is the Christian way of life.

In order for us to live out the life of the cross, we need to face up to the fact that we are not in charge, and that our innate gifts and abilities will not carry us where we need to go in order to see God's purposes fruitfully established through us. One biographer who wrote of a Christian woman who served the Lord with astounding fruitfulness in the last century wrote about the necessity of a humbling experience in this way:

Looking over her years of Christian work and reviewing the thousands of lives she has witnessed in Christian service, Miss Mears has concluded that every Christian who is really going to accomplish anything in the work of the Kingdom must have a "crisis" experience, over and apart from accepting Christ as personal Saviour. She has never seen really effective Christian leaders who are truly accomplishing work for the Lord who have not, at some time, come to the complete end of self, overwhelmed with personal inadequacy, aware of how little they have and of their tremendous limitations in trying to serve the Lord and live the Christian life. Then, in the crisis of this experience, they allow the Holy Spirit to take over complete possession of their lives. There is a terrible sense of inadequacy of self, even after one is a Christian, a complete end of self, a complete emptying of self, a deadness to self and aliveness to God, as the Apostle Paul stated it. Christians become aware that there is no personal virtue in themselves, no personal ability, no personal strength except as the Holy Spirit controls and empowers and uses their lives.

[20] how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, [21] testifying both to Jews and to Greeks

When we have come to the end of our own strength, God the Holy Spirit can use us. This does not mean that we have no natural abilities, or that the Lord does not use our natural abilities. I recently read of the conversion of another woman that God is using in astounding ways in our century. Before she was converted she was a very intelligent and articulate woman, a recognized leader in a major research university in the Northeast United States. After her conversion, she was still very intelligent and articulate, but she used those gifts in a new way.

But I am referring to something beyond conversion. A person can be converted and still have a self-reliance that is not helpful for serving the Lord. Suffering, such as Paul faced everywhere, and which he testifies to here concerning his time in Ephesus, may be necessary in order for a person to yield to the Lord's way of accomplishing what may be well beyond our own abilities.

Paul, after referring to his suffering in the province of Asia, speaks of his unusual dedication to what the Lord had called him to do: declaring to those who would hear the way of the Lord wherever God provided an open door. The apostle Paul faced the kind of experience that forces a person to trust in God more boldly still. He writes about it in another place, saying “We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself.” This experience of running out of strength in the Lord's service was not a surprise to the Father, but a part of the Lord's mercy. Paul goes on to speak of these sufferings this way:

[9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10] He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:9-11)

of repentance toward God

Paul saw the sufferings of His apostolic team as a living display of cross unto glory that every Christian church needs to see and learn. God's method is well suited to His message. Paul was calling people to repent toward God. What could that mean?

If Paul were talking about turning away from violations of specific commandments, he might have found an easier way to say that than the words “repentance toward God.” We do need to repent of specific sin, but there is a deeper underlying issue that must be addressed. For instance, the second woman I mentioned earlier, the university professor who is living in our century, came to see that she needed to repent of certain sexual sin. But much more than that, she needed to repent of the prideful self-focus that insisted that she would do what she wanted to with her body. She needed to repent toward God.

This repentance toward God is an ongoing battle for the Christian. We need an ever-fuller yielding to the truth of who God is and to what His authority over our entire life rightly is in Jesus. Changing some specific behavior will not solve the problem if we still imagine that we have the strength, ability, and right to do what we determine to be just and good according to our own thoughts. A deeper yielding to the Word and Spirit of God is the Lord's kind plan for us. For this result He may ordain providences that cause us even to despair of our lives.

and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hand in hand with repentance toward God is the necessity of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we are not speaking of merely assenting to the truths that 1. Jesus is Lord, 2. That He is God's salvation to us, and 3. That He alone is the Anointed One, the Christ, that God promised to His people so long ago. These truths are wonderful, but God will cause us to both assent to the doctrines and to trust in the God/Man about whom these doctrines testify.

People who are brought to despair of their own ability and desire to bring in the kingdom of God, once they begin losing their inclination to trust in themselves, need someone far more able and reliable in whom they can trust. Jesus is that One. We lead others to repent toward God and to have faith in Jesus Christ, not only by speaking of the cross and the resurrection, but by living cross unto glory as the Lord brings us to the end of ourselves. This too is the love of God for us.

Old Testament Passage: Jeremiah 31:1-6, 31-34 – I have loved you with an everlasting love; New covenant obedience

Gospel Passage: Matthew 23:37-39 – O Jerusalem, Jerusalem ... Blessed is he who comes in the Name of the Lord!

Sermon Text: Acts 20:17-21 – Paul's opening summary of his method and message in Ephesus

Sermon Point: An apostolic church is committed to the courageous declaration of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Servants of the Living God

April 7, 2013 Evening:

Title: Ministering Spirits and the Heirs of Salvation

Old Testament Passage: Isaiah 52:13-53:12 – The Suffering Servant and victorious King

Gospel Reading: John 2:5 – Do whatever he tells you.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 1:14 – Angels are sent out to us and all those who are to inherit salvation. Who sends them? What is His purpose? Who is the ultimate Heir?

Sermon Point: We have been saved into a kingdom of servants by a King who serves and sends forth heavenly beings to serve Him by serving us.

[14] Are they not all ministering spirits

One day, all of the Lord's people will live in the company of myriads of holy angels. Those who have already gone to heavenly realms are experiencing that life already.

Jesus Christ, who came from heaven, knew this well. He understood angels better than anyone else. He knew them to be ministering (serving) spirits. We were not created to serve angels. Angels were created to serve us.

sent out to serve

Angels have been sent out to serve. Jesus was also sent as a Servant. He was the long expected Servant of the Lord who was sent to give His life as a ransom for many. As the Father sent Him out from heaven, before He returned to heaven, He sent out His apostolic church.

for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

We have been sent out to serve, yet we have angels who serve us. Who is to serve and who is to be served is not a matter of relative status. Jesus, the King of the kingdom, has displayed that truth conclusively by serving sinners. It is the prerogative of Almighty God to call us to humbly accept the service of Jesus for us and to humbly serve others. All of us are to do whatever He tells us to do.

This great God above all gods has determined that angels will serve us. Imagine that? We are the heirs of salvation. Salvation is not only a status. It is an eternal community of the greatest divine benediction. Jesus is salvation. Heaven is salvation.

We are those who are called to inherit salvation. This inheritance comes through a death. Christ has died, but He lives, and He is over all. He is the heir of salvation according to the justice of God. We have become joint heirs with Christ by the mercy of God.

Angels do the bidding of those who are joint heirs with Christ. How much of that happens here below is difficult for us to see at the present. That is one of our current limitations. But where others, including Christ, have gone before us, the eternal kingdom is very visible. The inhabitants of heaven must be more aware of angels serving them than we are. And those citizens of heaven must be very passionate about God's purposes.

Angels are powerful. Having them serve the wrong people, or even the right people but for the wrong purposes, would be dangerous. We need the fullness of inner salvation in order for us to safely have angels at our command. We need to live in a place where all sin is gone. Until then, we ask the Man who knew no sin, but became sin for our sake, to direct angels according to His holy will. Not my will Lord, but Yours be done.

And we commit ourselves to serve according to His Word. We know that the ages have turned in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We surrender all. We serve the Lord.