“The Way Of The Pastor” (Part 3)

Paul loved his people (Acts 20:17-21),

centering on the gospel (20:22-24),

and on God and His Word (20:25-32).

We’re looking at a standard for a minister for Christ, a Christian indeed, but especially that of a pastor.  Paul is saying goodbye to the elders at Ephesus and giving a model of love and integrity as someone who handles the Word of God.

This meeting and the content of what Paul is doing sounds very much like his letters to churches rather than his evangelistic speeches in the book of Acts.  They are a great model for all of us.

In verse 25 he brings the sad news about leaving, knowing that death is ahead for him and that he will never see these people again.  There is that kind of sadness in ministry as people move or we move and the very special relationships centering on God’s love and the gospel as well as personal friendship are broken.

It was Shakespeare who wrote that “parting is such sweet sorrow,” but I have always differed with him on that.  I think Juliet said that to Romeo right after Romeo said that he would love to have her as his pet.  But she knew that he must go home.  (I Googled it.)

God does help us arrange our times with people and relationships, helps us give input for their growth and grace, and then helps us through the sorrow when there is parting.

Verses 26 and 27 are great pictures of integrity.  Paul refers to a verse in Ezekiel 33:6 where it warns that if a watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people, the blood of the person who was slain would be on that watchman.  That’s straight talk.

Today people speak of someone who kills someone as having that murdered person’s blood on their hands.

Many judges have said it that way.

Here it is a spiritual issue, and Paul says that he did not hesitate to warn the people and to tell them about God’s grace to avoid God’s judgment.

It is no light matter that all of us have this obligation to warn people about judgment and to proclaim to them again the grace of the gospel.

And Paul did not hesitate “to proclaim to you the whole will of God” (20:27). Many of us believe that the “whole will of God” is defined for us in the Bible, rather than a personal map for each week or day.  God has revealed His will to us in the Scriptures.  Another issue is we must seek His wisdom and then make careful choices, it seems.

And Paul preached the “whole counsel” of God, the Scriptures.

Verses 28 – 31 are the great shepherding picture as Paul calls us all to that by his example.  We who are pastors are sheep-herders indeed, and it’s a wonderful position given by God, and we report to Christ, “the chief shepherd” (I Peter 5:1-5).

Interesting that the first person we must shepherd is the person in the mirror:  “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers,” Paul says.

Overseers have important responsibilities, as do parents.  And the first is to watch themselves, which may be the hardest job.  And then to care about the church.

If we don’t watch and guard our own hearts, we soon do this work only as a job, or perhaps as a “hireling” as Jesus called it in the great shepherd passage of John 10.

But if we watch our hearts, and serve the Lord Christ with humility, then we shepherd others with love.

And one of the greatest concepts to remember as we shepherd is to know that the people or sheep are the Lord’s, not our own.  They are the people that Christ has “bought with his own blood,” as Paul put it here.  So we probably should not refer to “Pastor Smith’s Church,” but rather to the “church of the Lord where Pastor Smith serves.”

Verse 29 of course warns about the “savage wolves” who will come into the flock.  We’ve all met a few of them.  Some come even from within the church as they distort the truth and try to get their own followers (verse 30).

So Paul calls everyone who helps to lead the church to a concerned stance and to being on guard.  That includes warning, and careful love for the people – Paul defines his own compassion in verse 31.  Strong indeed!

In verses 32-35, Paul releases them to the Lord, and here’s the great consolation all of us should have.  What better confidence could Paul ask for than to commend this young church to the Lord, and to “the word of His grace”?  Again he chooses that description of God’s Word, which is gracious indeed!

It is the story of how God wants to love us and forgive us and be in our lives.

Could Paul trust these new believers to this Lord and to the writings of truth that He has given!

Actually when we say goodbye to anyone, we are really saying to them, “God be with you.”  And that’s what Paul is saying here.  And it is what we should wish for each other.

And it is all we can really do in the church – to love the people and serve them as good pastors and to present the Word of His grace – and then to commend them to God.  We can’t force anyone to do anything.

I am reminded of the great blessing from Moses in Numbers 6:24-26 as he hopes that God will make His face to shine upon the people, and lift up His favor our countenance upon them and give them peace.  And that’s what we pray for our people.

When our daughter answers the phone and knows it is us, she often says, “Word!”  And the Word is what proclaims the grace and should be the center of our pulpit ministry and the guideline for our lives.

I recently left a wonderful relationship as pastor with The Chapel in Akron, Ohio, for over 25 years.  As we were leaving it was just plain wonderful to hear the stories of God’s grace in personal lives.  Salvation and growth.  All because of God’s Spirit and the Word which he wants us to proclaim.  Keep at it!

Paul then deals with his motives and says he did not covet anything (verse 33), and that he even worked hard physically to take care of his needs (verse 34), all because of the great principle of life he states in verse 35 – “it is more blessed to give than to receive” – that direct word of our Lord Jesus.

Who came to give rather than to receive.

Who came to serve rather than be served.

What a great picture of a pastor’s heart.