1047. Help the Weak Through Sacrificial Sacrifice

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina were in a study series from acts chapter 20 from seminary chapel and today's speaker is Andrew medic one of the faculty in the school of religion. The passage that we come see brings to a conclusion. Paul's exhortation say these Ephesian elders that he's been speaking with, and according to verse 38, Paul believes that this is the last time that he will see these men alive and so he kind of unit bears his heart to these men. He exhorts them he talks to them about their ministry and their their continuing ministry that he began there in the church in Ephesus and it been in our passage today in verses 33 through 35. He lays out another topic that he feels is very important for them to consider as men in the ministry, but what is surprising is that in verse 32.

He's already given the benediction. Look at verse 32. He says there. I commend you to God, to the what of his grace and goes on is already sort of wrapped up his expectation of these men before he addresses the topic that will looking at today in verses 33 through 35. Almost like he contacted on to the end.

Almost as an afterthought. It would be kind of like if I finish the message today and prayed and dismissed everyone. We all started filing out the doors appear and all of a sudden I put the mic back on and said hold on everybody come back to back.

I forgot to say something and you note those of you who know me well know that my memory is like a bucket on bottom and say that very well may happen, but if it did happen. What would be going through your head as you're coming back in the door as you're sitting back and you're probably thinking whatever he forgot to say whatever he called us back to say I sure hope it's really good because I was Artie on the way to lunch. I was very studying for Hebrews 12 or whatever and so you can see that that the way that poll taxes on the end. Sort of elevates the importance of it and he's he's put out his heart to these men he's given them his final excitations.

He's brought everything to a climax in the benediction. In verse 32 and then he remembers that he hasn't yet said anything to them about this topic. So what is it that Paul is so concerned about what let's read through verses 33 through 35 and and take a look at that. He says in verse 33. I commented no man silver or gold or apparel J you yourselves know that these hands have ministered under my necessities to them that were with me.

I have showed you all things, how that so laboring he ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said it is more blessed to give than to receive. So what's he talking about here is talk about money right he's talking about material things and you know all the topics to bring up at the culmination of an exultation to people in ministry.

He brings up the topic of money know whether he actually forgot like in my little illustration or whether he intentionally save this topic for the end.

Either way, it highlights it is something that was very important to Paul in his speech to these men and so were considering it today because nothing's changed in 2000 years right people today still struggle with their relationship to material things they still struggle to understand that you think about all through Scripture. Christ says things like that. It's easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle than for our's are easier for a camel to go through got the needle than for the rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Solomon writes how he got everything and he still found himself empty, and he found it to be vanity. Paul says that the love of money could move you to any kind of evil is the idea that passage at the root of any kind of evil in Hebrews were told we need to be content and not be covetous of Paul or the Antichrist exhorted us to not serve two masters. We can either save money or we can serve God and and sometimes money is a positive thing in Scripture, but almost always in Scripture it's presented as a negative thing as a rival to God is something that we struggle with that. We we struggle to understand what to do with and how to rightly use but who is Paul talking to in this passage is not talking to Christian people in general. Look at verse 17.

Who is he talking to the elders of the Ephesian church right home on a second, you mean to tell me that people in ministry still struggle with the relationship to material things.

I thought that being a pastor exempted you from this right now. Paul goes on and he are you and he taxes on the end of his message to these men because he apparently feels that men in ministry still can struggle with with this particular thing that he in first Timothy three and Titus one makes a qualification for an elder, but a man is not seeking material things and seeking money so apparently men in ministry to struggle and we can revise the problem that were looking at this morning to this the people in ministry struggle with their relationship to material things and perhaps few things and in the Scriptures could be more important for someone in ministry to consider then how they relate to their money. We can all think probably of people who were in ministry and now they're not because they got entangled in the things of this world. My grandparents lived up near Charlotte for a number of years until this past summer. Every time we would go to visit then we would drive past the church on the left-hand side and the pastor that church is in jail for embezzlement very large church Lodge ministry and in a much about it but I do know he's in jail for embezzlement and so this is a server topic that were thinking about today. In this passage Paul addresses. I think to specific ways that people in ministry struggle with their relationship to material things in the first place. They can struggle with the danger of ministry for personal gain. Paul says in verse 33 that he did not covet any man silver or gold or apparel known the Old Testament Isaiah 56, Jeremiah 6 and eight Micah 3.

These prophets had to rebuke and denounce the false prophets because of their love of money and the fact that they were ministering for money.

Paul says in Titus one that false teachers minister for the sake of sordid gain in second Peter two Peter warns about the greed of false teachers, and it seems like this is what James is warning about in James chapter 2. Remember that scenario with the rich man comes in the church all brother so glad you're here.

Come have a good seat at the front and the poor man comes in. We did appointment we have C.

Bakhtin back back were the person of the PowerPoint I can think why would you do that. Why would you treat people that way. Unless you are hoping that the rich man might give you or give to the church. Some of his money.

Right. It seems like that's what James is driving at. And in contrast to that pulse is known or as a true minister of the gospel. I didn't covet what other people had.

I wasn't ministering for what I could what I could get out of it.

Instead he goes on in verse 34 and he diligently worked to provide for himself. He says you know and is appealing to their knowledge.

She says you know that these hands ministered to my necessities. So it's like probably when he was talking is holding up his hands and see these hands think really hard work using these hands before.

Yet that's right you saw them working hard in order to provide for myself and he's using his hands to call back their memory of what he had done in their presence and imposed a working with your hands was something that a lot of people did. It wasn't uncommon, but it was certainly something that a higher society person would never consider doing and so it was and is something that Paul did out of humility. Now we need to stop and address the obvious question right. Should we like Paul refused to be supported by God's people and support ourselves. Those are going out in full-time ministry that is that what you should take away from this passage will Christ in Luke 10, and Paul enforcement nine in first Timothy five both taught that those who preach the gospel should live of the gospel and so because of that, Paul sometimes did accept gifts like in second 2011.

He took gifts from another church and flipping for he took gifts from another church and it's actually an act of service and worship to God for his people to give of their increase to support the shepherd that God's placed over them and so for that reason, Paul's letters actually encourage us to give financially info strengthens nine in Galatians 6 and we should support ministers in that way. So it's clear that minister should little the gospel that's established in Scripture. But there's a difference.

I think we all realize the difference between living for the gospel in living on the gospel and living for money and there's a difference between living in the gospel and living for money and so I think we can sum up the principle here in this passage for our own ministry. In this way that we should be aware of the danger of ministry for personal gain.

And that's what Paul is warning us about it's right for God's people to support us in our ministry but we must not minister for that gain.

It's a matter of our heart and were hardest to be found, but the emphasis of this passage is on the second danger that I think is possibly more real in the lives of people in this room today than the first right there may be someone here who is going into ministry for personal gain. I kind of doubt that there's very many if any, in this room but the second danger is one that I think is probably something that we can all identify with a little bit more and that's the danger of neglecting to minister materially see ministry, not for what you can get isn't enough. You have to also give of what the Lord has blessed you with. And Paul sets the example in verse 34. He says not only that, his hands ministered to himself but also to those that were with him and he isn't just giving his own actions. Here near, holding himself up as a check me out.

He's actually laying on us a responsibility to do the same thing because he goes on in verse 35 and says that he showed to these men, all things how that so laboring he ought to support the week and so this isn't just Paul, this is actually an example that we should follow as well. The verb to labor their speaks of physical toil speaks of hard work on speaks of sacrifice of being willing to deprive yourself for the good of others, and he juxtaposes that with the idea of the week. So here's someone who's not able to labor. Paul is able to labor and so he labors in order to support that other person and then he goes on to court something that Christ said it's not recorded in the Gospels that you're looking for cross reference, but it's something that Christ evidently said and many people remembered and so Paul could call it back to mine but it's more blessed to give than to receive. I want to raise the question this morning. Why did Paul admonish us to remember what it admonish us to remember tantra question is if we don't get diligence to remember, we will forget right now.

We will forget and so if you're not ministering materially. Our problem is not that we don't understand how to do it. This isn't rocket science to take what God's given to you, and you use it to be a blessing to others.

It's not hard and I got news for you. If you look in this passage, there's actually no great exegetical points to be made by studying the Greek now I teach Greek so that pains me to say that you got no idea how much it pains me to say that but there's actually no hidden key here. There's no secret formula for not doing it. It's simply because we forgotten to do it if were not doing it. It simply because we've neglected to do it. So have we forgotten. Have we neglected to do this, and I'd like to suggest this morning that as a movement, fundamentalism has struggled to remember to do this right. In the late 1800s and early 1900s. The social gospel stormed the world and as you know it replace the idea of sin with social oppression as being the greatest need that man has and for which Christ saves us, and fun mentalist reacted to that by contending that the mission of the church was to evangelize the lost.

Not to minister socially to people's needs and so consequently the social gospel primarily took root in the theologically liberal camp and the fundamentalists were right in their stance in the position that they took but some felt that in taking that position. They overreacted and started to forget to minister materially and see had books being written like the uneasy conscience of modern fundamental is a by Carl Henry 1947. What was he saying that we were uneasy about about forgetting to minister socially because we had taken such a stance on the priority of the gospel and so in the 1960s, when the new evangelicals rethought their stance towards liberalism. The question of the church's social responsibility was again put on the table and was a part of the agenda.

There was a push to accept both evangelism and social action is together comprising the whole mission of the church movement was known generally as holism because it argued the people should minister to the whole of man, not just his spirit and soul, but also his body in the debate really has polarized evangelicals whole essay that evangelism and social action are equal partners in the church's mission chief proponent John Stott writes that each is in itself an authentic expression of love and neither needs the other to justify it. On the other hand, priority this hold that although believers should minister to the whole of man.

Evangelism is the primary mission of the church now to disclaimers and it bring out that history today to try to solve the debate right. You all are to take theology of missions and solve that with Kevin or Berlin. The Scripture is clear that when it comes to the mission of the church that are priority is to proclaim the gospel and to build people up into churches of disciples and I also realize that the history that I've recounted pertains primarily to the church's responsibility for the loss.

While our passages about it seems more about the pastor's response ability to his flock, but I do bring up that history merely to say that in reaction to the liberal social gospel in the new evangelical holism. Even though fundamentalists took a scriptural stand on these issues. It is sometimes really easy for fundamentalists to swing the pendulum in the other direction and forget to minister materially, we have this kind of unconscious aversion to it.

So don't really feel little bit self-conscious Lippert were almost wrong. If we minister materially to other people and so I want to raise the question, is the gospel proclamation out primary.

I get that but is gospel proclamation and excuse for neglecting to minister materially well who is Paul talking to in this passage the Ephesian elders right so I want to do is just read through Paul's ministry and ask 19 in Ephesus, and you don't have to turn their just listen to me to skim through them, hit the highlights for time but listen to what Paul did when he went Ephesus.

He goes into the synagogue in verse eight he speaks boldly for the space of three months. He disputes and persuades the things concerning the kingdom of God. Talk about good topic to preach on and then when divers were hardened and believe not.

They spake evil before the multitude, he departs, he separates the disciples and he disputes daily in the school of tiring us that goes on for two years so that everybody who dwells in Asia hears the word of Christ.

Pretty amazing ministry and God brought special miracles by the hand of Paul. People were bringing handkerchiefs and aprons. People are being healed. Evil spirits are being cast out someone else tries to cast an evil spirit man in him evil spirit was on was in leaped on them overcame and prevailed them. They fled out of the house naked and wounded, and this was known to all the Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus. Fear fell upon them all in the name of Jesus was magnified and many believe, they confessed they should their deeds.

They bring the books together they counted 50,000 pieces of silver. Verse 20 so mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Talk about an amazing ministry. Talk about revival of fire falling from heaven, and in the middle of all that Paul considers it so important to be able to minister to people materially that he stops and he works with his hands and at the time it was so insignificant that Luke didn't even bother to record it. You look at the two times that Paul ministered in Ephesus and ask and Luke says nothing about Paul's working with his hands. But when Paul is talking to these men about the ministry and when he is admonishing them how they should be like Christ in their ministry. He feels that ministering with one's hand so that you can give materially to others is so important that he actually makes it the culmination of his exhortation to those men so we have a responsibility as three quick points of application. We have a responsibility this is not an optional part of ministry. This is not a minor matter. A life lived sacrificially giving to others is required of those in ministry and that you might ask why is this so important. Like why did Paul make such a big deal out of this. Will I think in the passage he gives three things that happened as a result of his ministry in the first place his ministry was authenticated. He's holding himself up as an example of true ministry. He does this throughout his writings repeatedly where his ministry was under attack and he says look I didn't take any money from you guys and he authenticates his ministry by by what he did in front of them and so as ministers we need to teach our people how to give to God's work, but in some instances it may be a better idea to forgo asking for money from your people for a time I was out on just witnessing several weeks ago, like two weeks ago and was talking to a man and he just informed us that he would never come to church because in his mind church was big business and he had watched his mother struggle financially because this church required heavy contributions from her and nobody can smell false motive faster than the sheep. If you go to a place like that were people of been burned. It may be better to not make your first assignment of them all about giving right it may be better and you may authenticate your ministry by supporting yourself for a while. Like Paul did. Rather than asking for for contributions to to support yourself in the second place, not only was Paul's ministry authenticated, but people were moved to follow his example. At least that was what he was asking of these men. He says to them there.

You yourselves know he's pointing out what they knew to be true about his ministry.

He says I showed you and he was demonstrating in front of them were ministry should look like and people will be moved to follow your example. But in the third place you'll be specially favored by God, and he recalls that saying of Christ that will be blessed in the Scriptures to be blessed is not just to be happy. It's to be in a position that specially favored by God, so that your flourishing in your spiritual life and so Paul lays this responsibility on us and in the right number in seminary, but we can cultivate a heart and a practice that really delights and loves giving to others. You say will have them in seminary, and much to give.

Right. I get that. But remember, the widow who cast in the two mites and Christ said that she gave more than the people who cast in actually more in the reason was that she gave of her need and and so we know what God looks at isn't necessarily how much you give. But how much is left after you give. So while you're in seminary may be the ideal time to lay up treasure in heaven because you have so little. If you give him have your actually giving in God's sight. A great deal. I remember when I was a Holy Ghost talking with my jumpsuit and he was can be married since he had gone to another dumpster and said hey can I look at your budget and it'll help me as I serve, establish our budget unit is the other dumps.

It was Mary and he said that when he looked at that other man's budget. A significant part of his income was designated for giving you this is a married man is a dorm soup at Bob Jones University is in seminary and as a kid. He did not much money. I guarantee you that he had set apart a significant part of his income to be a blessing to others.

And there's one thing that you can do this is where your dating advice comes and there's one thing that you can do right now in seminary to to make sure that you have this kind of ministry wanted us to marry somebody who gets this right my life in the front row and I you know if you will want to come up meter after she's a she's a treasure and I think you would be blessed optically. The ladies in the center to get to know her but am very thankful for wife who gets this right and one of the things that we found to be really helpful was something that someone challenged us to do before we were ever married, Sir. I've intentionally not made a lot of specific application today because doing this passage looks different in everybody's life and ministry. But here's something very practical that may be helpful. We were challenged to start a gospel account say with the gospel account while you still give your percentage to the Lord's work to the church to local church but above and beyond that, then you talk together and you decide on a percentage that you're in a set aside in a separate account that's for God's work at the gospel account right in the genius of that is that then when a need comes along.

The monies already God's you've already set it aside for him. You never spend it on yourself and it just helps you to be a little bit more free in giving other people as we done that.

We been able to support people in mission trips and unit projects in the Lord's working things like this and it just really helps your heart to to be able to do this and not to forget to minister materially so we have a responsibility but we also have an example near Christ came as the Son of Man, not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. And we know the grace of our Lord Jesus, that though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor, so that we through his poverty might be made rich and specifically that passages is using riches as an analogy for righteousness and justification but but there's also a reality there that he had everything in glory, and he came to people in abject poverty in order that they might then enjoy that glory with the father. So we have we have an example, but lastly we have enablement as well than this to me was one of the most blessed parts of studying this passage is if you get nothing else out a message today. Hopefully we consider now the final thought will be a blessing to you in verse 33. What specific sin did Paul tell us he had victory over within a verse 33. What specific sin had he found victory over the sin of covetousness right and as we've seen, not being a covetous man was a qualification that he gave for ministry.

Had he not resisted the sin and had he not or had he pursued his own personal gain.

He would have disqualified himself for ministry.

But where else in the New Testament, has Paul talk to us about his struggle with coveting thanks for your New Testament. Where has Paul talk to us about his struggle with coveting take your mind over to Romans chapter 7 right where Paul is writing there about our struggle and our flesh is struggle to obey the law of God and is he thinks about that struggle in his life and he thinks about all of the sins that he struggled with and he wants one to use as an example he chooses coveting I do know. Perhaps he struggled with coveting more than anything else in the function of Romans seven in the book is to move the reader to utter despair over his own inability to keep the law of God in his flesh, and in doing that, Paul sets the reader up for Romans eight and the gift of the Spirit is the only enablement that we have for obeying the law of God and someone Paul testifies before these men that he had victory over the sin of coveting is testifying to the grace of God in his life through God's spirit, enabling him to have victory over the sin and not to take himself out of the ministry and I don't know about you but when I see people who were in the ministry and they became entangled with the things of this world. It makes me afraid because I know my own heart and I know that that my heart is bent towards that.

I'm afraid that having preach to others I myself might be a castaway and left to ourselves.

There's really not a one of us that would not completely ruin our ministries if not in this temptation than in another. But when Christ left to go back to the father. Look at what he said to us.

He says there if you love me, keep my commandments. Now he's leaving behind men to continue his ministry. He says if you love me, keep my commitment and that's the struggle talking about keeping God's law obeying God and he goes on to talk about the enablement for that. I will pray the father and he shall give you another comforter, that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth in the world cannot receive, because it see it and not another, know with him. But ye know him and he dwellest with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you as orphans, I will come to you so has he come to you. Do you know Christ. If you do then you have his promise that he has come to you in the person of his spirit to enable you to not ruin your ministry and when you look at acts 21 apology right after he finished his what's he knelt down, he prayed in Matthew Henry suggest that perhaps he was praying through the things that he had just laid on these men to do and he was asking for the spirits enablement in them to do those things. So what is it this morning that you look into your heart and you see and you fear because you know that it could take you out of the ministry.

I remember when I was in Cambodia sitting on a porch with six or eight guys and we were praying and just taking her fears to the Lord and leaving them at Jesus feet in this one young man prayed and he said, God I'm so afraid that I'm in a fallen immorality and disqualify myself for the ministry. Is that your fear today.

Are you afraid of falling in the covetousness and disqualify yourself for the ministry. Are you afraid of what your anger will do to your ministry are your prayed for your ministry because of your pride will take heart.

Jesus has come to you in the person of his spirit and he's your helper and he'll be with you forever and he is the only hope that you have of not disqualifying yourself for the ministry. It's not found in yourself.

God's Spirit dwelling in you is the only hope that we have so let's pray let's talk to God about this and take it to him. Father, we thank you for the gift of your spirit will be. Thank you for the promise that he'll come to us that you want leave us as orphans pray that you would help us to go out today and in the power of your spirit to remember that it is more blessed to give than to receive, and will that we would shape our lives and our ministries, as those who are postured to sacrifice in order that we might give to others and to be a blessing to them and to share with them a little of what you've given to us and we ask for the help of your spirit in these things, acknowledging that we need him.

Yes, for these things in Christ you been listening to a sermon preached by Andrew Minnick a faculty member in the school of religion at Bob Jones University. Thanks again for listening. We look forward to the next time as we study God's word together on The Daily Platform