[0:00] Last time we were together here, we just got into this chapter and went about five or six verses. And it's already been a week, but I enjoyed the meeting that we had with Brother Spurgeon.
[0:20] I hope you got some help there and just enjoyed being in church many nights in a row. It was a good time. And those kind of things don't come around often.
[0:33] It's just not really feasible to do that. And we'd probably wear ourselves out if we tried to. But it sure is good when it comes around, and I hope you enjoyed it. And it was a help to me, and I think others as well.
[0:45] Ephesians chapter 4. I'll just begin by way of review, just get through the first six verses, and we'll continue forward. Verse number 1 says, Now the beginning here is a call for unity, and it's going to be accomplished when you walk worthy, and you walk in lowliness and meekness, when there's forbearance, when there's love, when there's long-suffering, and when people make an effort, in verse 3, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit and the bond of peace.
[1:49] And from there, Paul dives off into some thoughts of God, the oneness of God, the unified nature of God. And he throws out things that just would be examples or illustrations to show that God's calling his body to unity amongst themselves.
[2:05] And he carries this through several points in verses 4 and 5 and 6. And he comes back to it, just to make this known. Verse 13, by the time we get down to verse 13, it almost gets distracting, like it's going somewhere else with these offices and the gifts and so forth.
[2:24] But he says in verse 13, Till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a perfect man. So I want to point that out so you don't get distracted as we catch other things and other thoughts and verses.
[2:38] There's still the theme that is carrying through what Paul is calling for in the local church in this body. We studied a little bit here briefly in verses, I guess it was in verse 5, I remember making a note where it says one Lord, one faith, one baptism.
[2:57] And of course we saw a cross-reference, there's more than one Lord. We saw that in 1 Corinthians, more than one Lord, as in with a small l. In 1 Corinthians chapter 8, there's Lord's many and God's many.
[3:10] But there's only one Lord, there's only one true God and Father of all. There's more than one faith on this planet among the human race.
[3:22] There's so many concepts and thoughts and beliefs, but there's only one reality. There's only one true faith and one that can place a member into the body of Christ.
[3:33] And that's the thought to close verse 5, one baptism. I showed you three baptisms in one verse in the book of Matthew chapter 3. There's a lot of baptisms, but there's only one baptism staying on theme that places a believer into the body of Christ.
[3:50] It's a spiritual baptism, just like the body of Christ, a spiritual body. In verse 4, one body, one spirit, you're called in one hope of your calling, which takes you out into the future with what God's doing in your new bodies and his calling and purpose for the body of Christ.
[4:07] One Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who's above all and through all and in you all. Now we'll carry it on in verse 7 then, where the Bible says, But unto every one, now it gets singular.
[4:19] It goes away from this, or it stays with the unified thought of one, but not the body in a whole. But unto every one of us is given grace, according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[4:34] So, if there's a measure, it doesn't say that this measure is equal. Come back to Romans chapter 12. Let's just give a little quick cross-reference here to a thought. Romans chapter 12.
[4:46] The comment in verse 7 that we read is, Unto every one of us is given grace. And that is according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
[4:59] So what could that mean, or what is it specifically speaking to? Romans chapter 12. Let's start in verse number 3. Paul says, Now this is what Paul's going to tell us.
[5:17] And he's going to have the authority to tell us. And he's through this measure that's been given to him, which is quite a bit different than other individuals. For I say, Through the grace given unto me, to every man, here we are individuals again, that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
[5:44] For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.
[5:57] So you get into this body, you're part of something that's bigger than you. And being part of that, you have a responsibility, a role perhaps, but you have a measure of gift, or a gift of grace, and a gift of, a measure of faith, for you to, to function in that body.
[6:23] Now, he goes on to talk about some gifts, just to stick with the body illustration, that he uses in the scripture, of hands, and eyes, and ears. The ear is not the foot, and has a total separate function.
[6:36] And if this body was full of ears, then it couldn't go anywhere. If this body was full of mouths and tongues, it could just sit around and yap a lot. And it couldn't do anything, but run its mouth.
[6:50] And the thought here is that, there's many members in one body, and these members, they're not the same. They don't have the same offices, but we're not just members of the body, we're members one of another.
[7:02] The ear belongs to the tongue, which belongs to the feet, and to the hands. And when there is unity, there can be something accomplished, for Jesus Christ. The body can function, when there's forbearance, and when there's humility, and lowliness, and when we endeavor to make sure that we stay where we ought to stay, on Jesus Christ, the unity, what was the verse, the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of God, the perfect man under the measure, and we'll get into that in a minute.
[7:33] Let me continue where I was reading in Romans chapter 12, verse 5, I'll say this, for we being many are one body in Christ, and everyone members one of another. Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, there's an example, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith, or ministry, let us wait on our ministering, or he that teacheth on teaching, he talks about exhorting, giving, ruling, showing mercy, and those are not an exhaustive list, by any means, of what God allows, or gives, into a body.
[8:06] But just take for example, I had a man ask me this a while ago, he said, I can, I've always done well, in business, and made money, and I don't know what I'm supposed to do.
[8:17] Like I don't, I don't feel like I'm good at anything, spiritually, in the church. But I said, but one thing I can do, I said, well, that's a gift, given to the body of Christ, is giving.
[8:30] Is, you could be that guy, that God could be just using you as a funnel. I forget, I think it was J.C. Penney, I forget if that's the guy, or Montgomery Ward, or one of those, you'd have to look it up, see which one it was, that, that was a born again Christian, and his business just continued to expand, and expand, and expand, and he didn't understand, why is it God blessing it so much?
[8:53] I'm getting money hand over fist, and he just started dumping it out, into the body of Christ, into ministry, into missions, and, and it just kept, you know, folding upon itself more, and more, and more, and more, and he questioned a man about it, a pastor, and he said, God's using you as a funnel.
[9:12] He's, he's putting it into you, and your heart's right, you're not falling in love with it, you're sending, and sending it out, to the work of God. That could be a, a ministry, or a gift, that God gives to you, just as one example.
[9:23] There's another there, in verse seven, of ministry, let us wait on our ministering. Some people are not, uh, good at business, and bringing in money. Some people, uh, aren't even good at, getting out there, and, and witnessing, or just being in public.
[9:39] They're scared, they're shy, they don't have that, but they can minister. They can help other people. They can, they find, uh, relevance, and joy. You know, some of you, some of you in here, would never want to, clean the toilets, at a church.
[9:55] You think that's disgusting, so many people use it, it's disgusting. Strangers, who knows what goes on here. And so, that would repulse you, but maybe because your, your mind's in a, and this is not a wrong thought here, okay?
[10:07] I'm not trying to say, we all need to be servants. I'm just saying, your mind may be, in bigger things. You may be like, but I'm going to get out, tracks, because I just can't stand, to sit still, and I'm going to be, handing these tracks out.
[10:21] But somebody else, that just, that drive is not in them. There's, there's a, maybe a calling to that, to a degree, but understand, we're built differently. And somebody else, would say, you know what, I would, I would clean these toilets, and it wouldn't bother me a bit, and I don't want anybody, to see me doing it, or know I'm doing it, but you would find fulfillment, in doing something like that.
[10:44] It would just be fine with you, to know that you're doing this, for Jesus Christ. And I know, I'm kind of giving you, different extremes here maybe, but there's a gift of ministry. And let us wait on our ministry.
[10:55] It could be just serving, or helping in some small manner, but you find fulfillment in that, and you find it because your heart, wants to serve Christ, and be part of the body. That's a necessary part.
[11:06] Let's come back to Ephesians. I'm getting a little bit off track here. Ephesians chapter four. And we're talking about, him giving grace, according to the measure, of the gift of Christ.
[11:23] And this grace is given, to members, and it's given for service. And he gives gifts, to the body of Christ.
[11:33] And so when Paul, makes this statement in verse seven, unto every one of us, is given grace, according to the measure, of the gift of Christ. He, it spurs a thought of scripture.
[11:45] And he quotes from Psalm 68, and says, wherefore he saith, and it's just like the Bible says, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And so he just relates scripture, which he's very familiar with, and it's a very common thing, for him to do.
[12:03] And by the way, if you're very familiar with scripture, and you love it, and you're in it, it's going to come out of your mouth too. I think some of the corniest jokes, are Bible jokes, but I love them. I love it, because somebody's in their Bible, and it just makes them think of something, from the scripture.
[12:18] That's a good thing. It's definitely a good thing. It's far better than, relating things that you see, and hear to the world, or to the celebrities. Or then it tells me, your heart's in that, and you're listening to that all week.
[12:30] Side note. Okay. So, Paul puts out the scripture here, in verse eight, because he talks about God giving gifts, to men, and he's like, well that's what the Bible says.
[12:40] And now, he can't even just let that thought go, because that leads into a, something he'll put in parentheses, in verses eight and nine. But for the moment, I'm going to, or sorry, nine and ten. For the moment, let's pass over that, and go from eight to ten.
[12:54] In verse eight, wherefore he saith, quoting the psalm, when he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And in verse eleven, and he gave some apostles. So, these are the gifts, that Paul's relating, to the body of Christ, that were given to men.
[13:11] Some apostles, and some prophets, and some evangelists, and some pastors, and teachers. And then he goes on, with the purpose of this. So, now we'll come back, and see this parenthesis, and this could go a long way, I'm not going to get into this today.
[13:26] I think in Matthew, we hit some of this, and spent a little time on it. I think we did. So, we'll just comment, and move on. Verse number nine, he's referring to this thought, of him ascending up on high, and the scripture says, he led captivity captive, and so he has to add, he just can't pass it up, now that he ascended, what is it, but that he also descended, first, into the lower parts of the earth.
[13:52] He that descended, is the same also, that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. Now, there's some deeper stuff in this, and, and, if we wanted to dive into it, we'd end up, discussing the lower parts, of the earth, and we'd end up discussing, the descension of Christ, after Calvary, and then, his ascension, upon his, after his resurrection, and, it's something to consider there, it's some doctrinal things there, but, we're going to skip over that, here in this study, because I know, we've already covered, some of it, for sure, but, it's a reference to Jesus Christ, nonetheless, and it says, that he ascended up, far above, all heavens, and so, there's more than one heaven, in your Bible, and I, we, we know of three, from the scriptures, and if there's more than that, you got me, but there's certainly, the one where the birds fly, and it's called heaven, it's called a firmament, back in Genesis, and then there's another one, that's the universe, which is also called a firmament, but a much bigger one, and then there's one, where our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, there's the third heaven, and Paul uses that term, the third heaven, in second Corinthians, something, slipping 12, no, all right, so let's get back to this, past the parenthesis, in verse 11, he gave some, apostles, and some, prophets, and some, evangelists, and some, pastors, and teachers, if the commas weren't there, it would just sound like, he gave some apostles, like he gave a few, he gave a few, he gave some of those, some of those, some of those, but it doesn't say that, there's commas, which refers, it seems, implying that he gave to some, this, and to others, this, and to others, that, he gave some, apostles, and some, he gave prophets, now, that's the way it reads, and that's what it means, but I don't profess to know, exactly, who the sum are, and if that's a reference, to a time, or an age, or a specific locality, that's something,
[16:04] I don't specifically understand, the sum, references there, to distinguishing, I'll read you a note, that's in my study Bible, here, from C.I. Schofield, he says, the Lord, in bestowing the gifted men, determines providentially, or directly through the spirit, the places of their service, some, need one gift, as, an evangelist, some, churches, or places, need rather a pastor, or teacher, absolutely nothing, in Christ's service, is left, to mere human judgment, or self choosing, even an apostle, was not permitted, to choose his place of service, and he gives a reference, in Acts 16, to that, so his take is that, God looking on the whole, of what the body needs, he gave some here, to that place, to this place, to this spot, of what they needed, now let's consider these, these are offices, these are offices, but they're men, given to the body of Christ, to some he gave, apostles, we studied in Ephesians chapter 1, we studied this right away, in verse number 1, where it says,
[17:12] Paul, an apostle, and when we were there, we ran the references, and I showed you, that the apostle, is somebody that has gifts, and signs from God, he's the gifts of an apostle, or the signs of an apostle, were wrought among you, in all patience, he said, and so Paul is, it's a special position, it's something that is divinely, appointed, it is not, these guys down the road, or somewhere around here, that calls himself, an apostolic church, we're apostles, I'm an apostle, and such and such, no, that's, that's, that's them looking at the Bible, seeing the word, and trying to put it on themselves, this is a work of the Holy Spirit, in a man, it's a special thing, and you can't just imitate it, and declare that, that's what it is for me, no, so the apostles, we know of the apostles, we're familiar with them, from the gospels, and we're familiar with Paul, being the next one, that was called an apostle, but that's a pretty isolated thing, you just don't see it, carrying through the New Testament, where it's just apostles everywhere, matter of fact, come to Revelation chapter 2,
[18:20] Revelation 2, and I'm also going to, I'm going to run back to 2nd Corinthians 11, Revelation 2, verse number 2, he's writing to this, the angel of the church of Ephesus, and it says in verse 2, I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them, which are evil, and thou hast tried them, which say they are apostles, and are not, and has found them liars, and so that's, that's the real thing, and back in 2nd Corinthians 11, I'll just read this verse, he says in verse 13, for such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves, into the apostles of Christ, and they're working, some things, some miracles, they're deceitful, because they have, power that's not from God, it's the ministers of Satan, in that passage, and that's going to come around, to play in the future, you can count on that, hopefully we'll be gone, and not have to see, any of that stuff,
[19:36] I believe, I know it's coming, in the tribulation, and probably a precursor to it, to bring that world together, following, the apostles of Satan, claiming to be apostles of Christ, while he claims to be Christ, so this apostle thing, is not something, that's just, dumped all over the body of Christ, verse number, I'll tell you what, apostles are, you know what the book of Acts, is called, there's Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and then Acts, and the book's not called Acts, the heading of it, is called, the Acts of the Apostles, and it's a historical, account, of the, the ministers, the disciples, the apostles of Christ, and then Paul, and it gives, what they did, their acts, their actions, it's a historical record, of what they were doing, back then in Jerusalem, and how God moved, and how things, transitioned forward, from, offering what they did, to the Jews, to that door being closed, to Paul then being called, and taking his gospel elsewhere, and so, the apostles are back, in that book of Acts, and they're pretty well, isolated to that, their ministry, kind of closes up, as God moves on, in his dealings, with the Gentiles, so he gave some apostles, it says in verse 11, and some prophets, and so there are prophets, in this New Testament era, here, after Calvary, it's not just talking, about Isaiah, and Jeremiah, he's talking about, some guys like, in Acts chapter, 11, is a guy named Agabus, and, later it's in 21, he's a prophet, that prophesies about, one time it's about a famine, another time it's about, what's going to happen to Paul, if he goes to Jerusalem, and it even says that,
[21:32] I think Philip, had four daughters, that were, which did prophesy, and so, the forth telling, and telling of the future, before this, canon of scripture, was entirely given, and revealed, there was still, this spirit of prophecy, that's going amongst, the body of Christ, alright, so he gave some apostles, and some prophets, and prophets, are somebody who, tells or testifies, has the testimony of Jesus, they testify, what God gave them, to testify, those guys, we don't, I'd have to study this, fully, but the Old Testament, we read about them, having visions, and into a deep sleep, and visions of the night, and God reveals, something to them, and some cases, there's no word of God, at all, no written scripture, these guys, they get the word, of the Lord, I don't know, by what means, and how that, those manifest, but nevertheless, they're prophesying, and telling the truth, from God, now he goes on, to this next one, some evangelists, some evangelists, come back to Acts, let's see what this, says in the Bible first, look at Acts 21,
[22:48] I mentioned Philip, a minute ago, here's where, here's the passage, where it mentions him, and his daughters, Philip is from, mentioned in Acts chapter 6, they call him, one of those, first deacons, in Acts chapter 6, he's on the list, with Stephen, and others, and here's something, a title, that's given to Philip, verse number 8, Acts 21 verse 8, and the next day, we that were, of Paul's company, departed, and came into Caesarea, and we entered, into the house, of Philip, the evangelist, which was one of the seven, that's taking you back, to Acts 6, and abode with him, and the same man, had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy, so he's called Philip, the evangelist, well there's the, there's the office, that a gift, that God gave, for a purpose, now what does an evangelist do, come back to Acts chapter 8, this is the greatest, glimpse we have, into the ministry, of Philip, the evangelist,
[23:56] Acts chapter 8, and verse number 5, says then Philip, went down, to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ, unto them, does it say, that he went, and scheduled a meeting, at a local church, in Samaria, and said, I'll be with you, from Sunday, to Sunday, or something, I don't think, that's the case at all, Philip's going down, and preaching Christ, not to the saved, but to the lost, he's attempting, to evangelize, and it says, in verse 6, and the people, with one accord, gave heed unto those things, which Philip spake, hearing, and seeing, the miracles, which he did, there's signs, and gifts, associated, with this ministry, in the book of Acts, for unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many, which were possessed, with them, and many taken, with palsies, and they that were lame, were healed, alright, so there's a guy, named Simon there, talks about him a little bit, and him, believing Philip, and the preaching, and he wants to get, these signed gifts as well, skip down to verse number 26, and catch a little bit more, about this evangelist Philip, and the angel of the Lord, spake unto Philip, now that's, that's a kind of, miraculous thing as well, for the angel of the Lord, to be speaking to him, saying arise, and go toward the south, unto the way, that goeth down, from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert, so he's not going, to a city, he's not going, to a church, he's going to the desert, and he arose, and went, and behold a man of Ethiopia, and eunuch of great authority, under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge, of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem, for worship, was returning, and sitting in his chariot, read Isaiah the prophet, then the spirit said, unto Philip, go near, and join thyself, to this chariot, and Philip ran, thither to him, heard him, read for the prophet Isaiah, and saith, understandest thou, what thou readest, and he begins to tell him, this is about Christ, not about the prophet Isaiah, but this is a, a prophetic reference, to Christ, and what Christ has done, and then, skip, fast forward down, to verse 40, this is where, another mention, of his ministry, but Philip was found, in Azotus, and passing through, he preached, in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea, so, based upon Philip, the evangelist, and his ministry, what is an evangelist, it's kind of, the closest thing today, what we would call,
[26:32] I'd say, would be a missionary, not, maybe not identically, the way we refer to it, and raising support, and so forth, and called to a specific field, but he is being led of God, to go from city to city, to preach, to evangelize the lost, to teach them, the ways of God, things that they're, they're heathen, they're unheard of to them, and so he's an evangelist, you see inside that word, evangelist, the word angel, an angel's a messenger, delivers something, from God to man, and these are lost men, these pagan cities, and this man, as an evangelist, is a messenger, to deliver, the word of God to them, we've, come to, this term is picked up, by a lot of men, I'm not against, men that travel, and preach, I enjoy that, you know, that's fine with me, I will never tell somebody, brother, you're not an evangelist, you're not from Acts chapter 8, or that's, that's not at all, the point I'm trying to make here at all, don't misread, but, well, that term has been picked up, by men, and men in history,
[27:39] George Whitefield, John Wesley, and then even men, that's cropped up, in the United States of America, some have come to America, to evangelize, and to travel, from city to city, and preach, and hold campaigns, and the evidence, that God was on them, was the fruit of their ministry, my goodness, there was real, outpourings, a revival, of God working in towns, and real things, that were taking place there, that could not be spoken against, these were big time events, and they called themselves evangelists, they traveled, by the leading of God, in their heart and life, they felt, I'm not supposed to stay here, I'm supposed to go, and go, and go, and go, and so there's still men today, that believe God has raised them up, and called them to go, and to minister, and to preach, and if we could connect this, to last weekend, brother Spurgeon, would tell, we're driving around, eating breakfast, and talking, and he says this, he says this all the time, he's like, I could never do what you do, and I'm thinking,
[28:40] I could never do what you do, and he's like, he's just saying, I just don't have the heart for it, I couldn't, I couldn't stay in one place, and deal with people, there's no way I could do that, he said, but, and I know it, I know what he's saying, what's in his heart though, is the gospel, what's in his heart, is the lost, and got to reach him, and he loves to preach the gospel, he's got a powerful gospel testimony, and message, and that's, that is his bread and butter, without a doubt, and last Sunday, when there were some lost folks in here, and he was just preaching away the gospel, that's him, that's his niche, absolutely, he doesn't even like teaching Sunday school, because it's just not his nature, he tells me that, he's even said, he's like, I guess I got to do Sunday school, he'd rather preach, that Christ can save sinners, and just put that on him, as hard as he can, and that's, that's that evangelist thing, that's something there, and I don't know where to make the division, with the gifts, just to say that the gifts fell off, and went when the acts, closed up, but, at any rate, that's still something, that's, that's going on, to some degree, the movements, not nearly what it was, that we see, have seen in the past, and, signs of the times, perhaps, so forth, maybe the closest other thought there, like I said, was missionaries, that have this burden, and calling, to go to the heathen, to go to where the name of Christ, is not mentioned, they've got to tell them, now some of them, end up parking, and, and trying to start a work, and they become pastors, and they become that man, like kind of wearing all the hats, if you want to call it that, but, but that, that office, maybe phasing out, as the other two, have seemed to phase out, that one may be, as well, to some degree,
[30:38] I don't know, but, finally in verse 11, we've got one more, to cover here, where it says, pastors and teachers, you'll notice, that is, there's no comma, to some he gave, apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some, pastors and teachers, and if you want to merge, the two words together, you got preachers, sort of, not sure if that's a really good, way to say that or not, but, they've always said, if you're, good preaching has teaching, and good teaching has preaching, and, and they don't, you can't separate the two, but however, turn to, turn to 2nd Timothy, chapter 4, a good sign, of the times, is, in the end, in the end days, last days, there's, this gift, to the body of Christ, for a purpose, it's just not received, and people don't want to, that pastor's part, they just want the teacher's part, you'll notice this, in verse 2, he's being charged, to preach the word, be instant in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering, and doctrine, for the time will come, when they will not endure, sound doctrine, but after their own lust, shall they heap to themselves, teachers, having itching ears, and they shall turn away, their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables, now later, he tells him, next verse, to do the work, of an evangelist, make full proof, of thy ministry, but getting back, to this thought, about the teachers, he's telling Timothy, who's a pastor, of a local church there, there are times coming, where, they don't want any of that, they don't want to be, under somebody, they don't want to, have reproof, and be rebuked, they don't want to be exhorted, with the longsuffering, and doctrine, they're just going to want to hear, some pretty good stuff, and if that's not a good sign, of today, and even if you, if you're, in touch, at all, with what the church, or with what the major ministries are, there, a lot of the guys, that get up, are more psychiatrists, and more, they're training, that is not in the scriptures, but it's in, relational, techniques, it's in making people, like them, it's in offering them, something that is, that is positive, and reinforcing it, from the scripture, in a positive light, and just keeping it all, just growing, and happy, and together, and under love, and, and wonder, and there's some, there's another side of that, where there's some, that just, all they want, is to hear the crazy stuff, give me the deep stuff, brother, give me the meat, and if it's not, tingling, itching their ears, if it's not tingling, their mind, they just don't want, to hear about it, they don't want, to hear about being faithful, and walking with Christ, and having a, devotional life, they just want, to hear about, the mark of the beast,
[33:53] COVID, putting it all together, Elon Musk, where does he play, into this, who is the antichrist, is he alive, can we spot him today, that's all they want, to hear about, and what edifying, does that do, and where do you win somebody, when you're at your job, talking about, don't take the shot, how do you edify, how do you win somebody, how do you even build, a relationship with somebody, to tell them about Christ, when you're so, just consumed, with the wax stuff, you don't, so you need balance, but of course, that's the route, that the last days are going, come back to Ephesians 4, we're not getting very far here, the pastors and teachers, we'll have to fast forward, this here, but a good passage, to read on, the title of a pastor, is in Jeremiah 23, and you can make a note there, maybe look that up, and see, there's a chapter,
[34:55] I think in Ezekiel, I don't have marked, in my mind, I don't want to, I want to say 34, but that may not be it, but it again, gives that description, of a shepherd, over a flock, and a pastor, over a pasture, you can see how that word, is connected, so that illustration, is a good one, there's responsibilities, given to the pastor, and that's, Peter talks about that, a little bit, in 1 Peter chapter 5, and the number one, the first thing, feed the flock of God, feed them, feed them, feed them, feed them, the first one, let's look at it, since I'm telling you, I don't want you to take my word, we're probably going to have to, wrap it up with this, look at 1 Peter 5, 1 Peter 5, verse number 1, the elders which are among you, I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness, of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker, of the glory, that shall be revealed, and here's the exhortation, number 1, feed the flock of God, which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind, neither as being lords, over God's heritage, but being in samples, to the flock, and when the chief shepherd, shall appear, ye shall receive, a crown of glory, that fadeth not away, now the overwhelmed, the concentrated charge, and exhortation, is in verse 2, feed the flock, of God, what do they need, to be fed,
[36:41] I think you know, what the flock needs, to be fed, the food, from the word of God, I talked with a pastor, a while ago, and he's a seasoned man, very seasoned man, I respect him a lot, and he said to me, he said, well, I won't give you, all of his comments, but I feel like, they were right on the money, but what he said was, you have a job, and the sheep, don't realize it, but your job, number one, is you need to feed, the flock of God, you need to feed them, your job is to preach, and teach the word of God, and he said, the sheep, they're going to want, something else, and they're going to think, they need something else, but that's not what they need, what they need, is the word of God, to grow them, and strengthen them, and change them, and clean them, they need the word of God, and I just sat there, as I talked to him, and said, amen, that's what I think too, from the scripture, but his comments, were helpful to me, at the time, and that's what it says, feed the flock of God, now what if the sheep, don't want to eat, well they won't come, to get fed, they won't show up, at the table, if they want to eat, if they want something else, they'll probably go, find something else, but I find that, to be the exhortation, and the primary one, he didn't say,
[38:01] I exhort you, love the flock of God, now I'm not trying, to dismiss that, but that's not what he said, love the flock of God, shake the flock of God's hand, wish him happy birthday, I'm not trying to, you know, but I want you to see, where the priority, has to be, and where the, of the ministry there, of pastors and teachers, pastors and teachers, now, this isn't just a, this is a gift, to the body of Christ, and we got to wrap this up, really, but, because the word teachers, are there, you remember a passage, in Hebrews 5, where, some were, supposed to be teachers, but they weren't, and they had need, that somebody teach them again, which be the first principles, of the oracles of God, because they weren't, by reason of use, they weren't in their Bibles, and studying their Bibles, and walking with God, in the scriptures, they should be teachers, themselves, grown, but they're not, as the pastor teaches, the church, the flock is supposed to grow, and grow into a place, where they, start putting it back out, themselves, and the church, is never supposed to be, a stagnant thing, and it's never supposed to be, just a place to get fed, and it's never,
[39:16] God never designed this, to just, I'm going to find a church, that I like, and then I'm going to stay there, I'm going to be in that church, and I'm just going to be there, like, you don't see that, in the scripture of, if I, I just need to find a church, and show up Sunday morning, and then, I'm right with God, you're supposed to be, feeding, and growing, and ministering, and the, God is using a church, as a channel, to reach the world, and to be a light, to the world, it's not just a, little, covert, for us to come together, and huddle up, and shake each other's hands, and have, have relationships together, and then say, we are right with God, because we attend, a Bible believing church, there ought to be growth, and that's what this passage, now is going to lead into, and so the pastor, the teacher, there's a, there's a reason for that, and now we're going to come, into verse 12, Lord willing, next Sunday, and see how this, the purpose is laid out, in a bit of a order, for these offices, and, it's aimed at, growing the church, and the church then, speaking the truth, and so forth, so, we'll come back to that, we've got to take a break, let's take a 10 minute break, right there.
[40:28] good work. Good work. Oh, you, you you you you