Well, please do turn in your Bibles back to the book of Acts, the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 20, where our reading was earlier on.
For the Lord to speak to us in his word.
Our Heavenly Father, we ask that the same Holy Spirit who caused these words to be written for our learning,
the same Holy Spirit by whom the Lord Jesus himself was conceived in the womb of the Virgin,
that he would be at work in us to bring your word to life in our hearts,
to make us willing listeners and believers.
And we ask it in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Amen.
I'm going to focus on verse 28 of Acts, chapter 20.
So do find verse 28.
Andrew, sitting over on the side, over there.
Andrew, as of today, you have a new duty.
It is a duty to care for, to shepherd the Church of God and to pay careful attention to them and to yourself, as this verse says.
Now, we're going to come to that and to what your duty is.
But we, that is Andrew, you, but all the rest of us too, need to see what that is founded upon.
Because this verse in the centre of Paul's speech to the Ephesian elders says something truly remarkable,
which is this, that today, what we have witnessed happening right here, just a few minutes ago,
is an act of the same God for the same purpose and for the same people as the great day of Christ's crucifixion at Calvary.
Now, that is a remarkable thing.
Today, Andrew, the Holy Spirit has made you an overseer.
That is what this verse describes ordination as.
Now, strictly speaking, today, in fact, has been the outward recognition and affirmation,
solemnisation, to use the old word, by the Church, by prayer and the laying on of hands,
of the Spirit's work in making you an overseer, which stretches back over years,
all through Andrew's life, and it includes his upbringing and his conversion, his growth in the faith,
all those who discipled him, his training at this church and others, his assessment by the presbytery,
and including his examination just three weeks ago.
But today is the day when the Holy Spirit has publicly set you aside to be an overseer,
as it's translated in this verse.
It's the same word where we get the word bishop from.
But the astonishing thing about what Paul said in Miletus to the Ephesian elders
is that this action of the Spirit setting aside men to be overseers of the church, of the flock,
is inseparably joined in God's action and plan to what he did at Calvary.
Indeed, in one sense, they are two parts of the same work.
So, Andrew, your ordination today as an elder and overseer in Christ's church
is part of how God is carrying into effect the work that he accomplished at Jesus' cross.
Now, that is a big thing for Paul to say.
It's a big thing for us to think about.
So, I want us to make sure that we've sort of followed what Paul is saying and understood it.
So, here is the first big thing that I'm going to try and convince us of,
that God ordains ministers by his Spirit to shepherd the flock bought by his Son.
God ordains ministers by his Spirit to shepherd the flock bought by his Son.
Let's give a bit of a backstory.
So, we're in a town called Miletus.
It's a port town on the coast of what's now Turkey.
It was Asia Minor, it was called then.
It's a few miles away from Ephesus.
Ephesus was also a port city then.
But Paul is sailing to Jerusalem, but he's deliberately bypassed Ephesus
because I think he just knows he knows too many people there,
and it'll take too long if he stops.
And so, he's gone past there.
He's stopped a few miles further down the coast at Miletus.
But he sends a message to the elders of the church in Ephesus
to travel the few miles to Miletus to meet with him
because he wants to speak to them.
And the reason he wants to speak to them is because
he knows he's never going to see them again.
And this is his chance to give them a final charge,
a final explanation,
and an exhortation for them to understand
the task that they have been given as elders in Christ's church
and to carry it out diligently.
And the result is this wonderful chapter, Acts 20,
with probably the most important description
of the work of an elder that the Bible has.
There are others that are important too.
But this one is particularly significant.
And it's a long description.
We read all of it earlier on.
But there's actually only one command,
which is in one verse right in the middle, verse 28,
which is, it's sort of like,
if ever you had one of those pinwheel windmills as a child,
you know, which you blow and it spins around.
This is the pin in the middle that the whole thing rotates around.
Verse 28,
Now, look carefully at what is said here.
The Holy Spirit,
the Father,
God,
and the Son,
Jesus Christ,
though he's not mentioned by name,
the blood of Christ is there at the end.
They're all present in this verse.
The Father,
Son,
and Spirit
are all active and present,
working together to achieve the single work of the salvation of the flock,
as they're described here.
This is how the church of Jesus is pictured.
The sheep for whom he cares.
Indeed, actually, that image is here twice.
It's hidden in our translation,
where it says to care for the church of God.
That is a word that means shepherd.
Both that, care for, and flock both come from the same Greek word for sheep.
And so the church is the sheep whom God has intended,
planned from eternity,
and put into action his work to gather them,
to care for them,
and to bring them to the full enjoyment for eternity
of all the things that God has intended for them.
It is one grand plan,
a single purpose that God,
that the one God has.
And how is he achieving that?
Well, in this one verse,
you can see there are two parts to it.
The first is at the very end of the verse,
that he obtained them with his own blood.
And the second is that the Holy Spirit has made certain men overseers,
shepherds, pastors, and elders.
Those are all the same people.
This is addressed to the elders of the church.
This is the,
well, it's either the session of the church in Ephesus,
or it could possibly be the presbytery,
depending on whether by now they've got more than one congregation.
We don't know that.
But they are all the ordained elders of the church
who have been gathered together,
and they're described with all of these words.
And so you see that Paul here presents it as being a two-part,
if you like, work of salvation.
There is the accomplishment,
the purchasing,
the buying of the people of God
by the blood of Christ.
And then there is the application of that,
the bringing it to reality,
the gathering and the caring of people
so that they may benefit from what Christ did at the cross.
And that is achieved by the Holy Spirit appointing overseers.
God intends both.
They're part of the one plan of salvation of the one God.
My first ever car was a Vauxhall Chevette.
I bought it for 400 pounds.
I went halves with a friend, 200 pounds each.
It had a magnificent engine.
As I discovered, two days after I bought it,
it had an absolutely terrible clutch.
The result being that you tried to move off,
and the engine went vroom,
and the car didn't move anywhere.
Because the power was being generated,
but there was no transmission of power to the wheels,
and therefore to the roads.
And therefore it cost me rather more than 400 pounds,
as you can imagine, to get that fixed.
Now, Mr. Vauxhall, when he designed the Vauxhall Chevette,
no doubt intended both.
There should be an engine,
and there should be a clutch
that would transmit the power to the road.
Now, that's kind of the same picture here.
God intended and achieved,
at the cross of Christ,
the full salvation of his people.
But he always intended
that his people would receive that salvation,
that the power of what was achieved at the cross
would be transmitted to his flock
by the men appointed as overseers.
The Spirit of God would apply
the work that the Son of God had achieved.
Now, this should strike us,
well, it should strike the elders in Ephesus,
it should especially strike those men who are ordained,
and Andrew, that now includes you,
as being an extraordinarily high requirement
for an elder.
What an incredible privilege
to have something bought
with something so expensive.
Now, I asked the children beforehand
whether any of them had ever saved up
for something,
kept your pocket money
for a number of weeks or months
to buy something you really wanted.
When I was about 10,
Nintendo released the first Donkey Kong game.
And those of you who are young
won't even believe what it looked like.
It was about the size of two iPhones,
sort of hinged together,
but it did nothing other than the Donkey Kong game.
Couldn't do anything else on it.
But I wanted one so much
that it cost £20.
I saved up for months and months and months.
And I can still remember the feeling
of going to the bank
and getting the first ever £20 note
that I'd ever owned
and walking to the shop.
I don't know what it was,
but what shop sold that kind of thing.
But anyway,
and handing it over
and buying this thing.
I treasured my Donkey Kong game.
In fact, I treasured it so much
that I still have it
in a drawer
in my study today.
It doesn't work anymore,
but nevertheless,
I still have it.
Now,
something that costs lots of money
will be something
that you value enormously.
Even more
if someone else
paid the price
and entrusts it to you.
I remember my very elderly grandmother
in her 90s
showing me the ring
that my grandfather had bought her.
She'd worn it,
obviously when they were married,
but for more than 50 years as a widow.
It was worn so thin
that it almost had fallen off her finger.
And yet she valued it
because it had been bought for her
by one who loved her so much.
We even talk sometimes
of things being bought in blood,
don't we?
Our freedom
in this country
with the blood of the soldiers
of the Second World War.
Nothing's more valuable,
I think,
than that.
Any Star Wars fans will know
that's the whole idea
of the film Rogue One.
I know I'm a little bit retro here,
but maybe you're into this,
that the plans for the Death Star,
so essential
in order to defeat the Empire,
had to be bought
at the cost of the blood
of all of
the people who went
in the Rogue One ship
to go and steal them.
And the film ends
with them finally,
by Princess Leia,
entrusting them to R2-D2.
Protect these.
They are so valuable.
Well,
that's a silly image.
But what we are told here
about the value
of Jesus' flock
is beyond price.
They were bought
with God's own blood.
Now,
that's a phrase
that has really puzzled
people who have read this.
How can Paul speak
of God's own blood?
I mean,
God doesn't have a body.
How can God
have blood?
But actually,
that is exactly
the point
of
the Son of God
becoming man
and living with us.
The Eternal Son
became one of us
and took flesh
and blood
so that
when he went
to the cross,
the blood he bled
for us
would be
God's blood.
For Jesus
is God himself
in human flesh
and the value
of the blood
that ran down
his face,
that stained
the cross,
that was drunk
by the ground
beneath his cross,
the value
of that blood
is beyond
price
and that
is the currency
with which
you,
as a Christian,
have been bought.
it's the currency
with which
the flock
of Christ
has been bought.
There is
nothing on
earth
so valuable
as the church
of Jesus Christ
for nothing
has been bought
with such
a high
price.
but Jesus
did not
bleed
God's
own
blood
for the
salvation
of his
sheep
at Calvary
with the
intention
that
they should
then be
just left
defenseless
to be
destroyed.
Even
less did
he bleed
God's
own
blood
with the
intention
that
he then
wouldn't
do
anything
in order
to go
and gather
these
sheep
together
into a
flock.
He didn't
bleed
God's
own
blood
and
then
kind
of
just
think
well
let's
just
kind
of
leave
it
to
!
has
in
every
age
of
the
church
appointed
that
there
will
be
overseers
who
are
also
elders
who
are
also
shepherds
who
will
care
for
this
flock.
That
is what
we have
witnessed
today
with
Andrew's
ordination.
We
have
witnessed
God
here
today
in
2025
putting
into
practice
his
plan
to
gather
nurture
and
save
his
flock.
Not
just
today
but for
many years
into the
future.
Now
therefore I
need to
say to
you
I can
say this
to you
because I'm
not a
member of
this
congregation
so to
you who
are the
congregation
of this
church
Andrew's
ordination
is an
act of
love of
the same
God to
you
and it
is an
act out
of the
same
love
which he
exerted
at the
cross of
Christ.
Now it
is not
only to
you
also
part of
the
intention
is that
overseers
shepherds
pastors
elders
should
bring in
more
sheep
that's
all part
of it
isn't
it
part of
the
work
of
a
shepherd
in
Christ
church
is to
go and
gather
the
flock
to
keep
on
growing
it
and
that's
a
vital
thing
for
them
to
do
and
Paul
we
haven't
referred
to
the
rest
of
the
speech
yet
but
the
whole
of
the
rest
of
Paul's
speech
here
is
about
him
describing
his
ministry
so
that
the
Ephesian
elders
know
what
their
ministry
should
look
like
they're
called
to
be
shepherds
now
Paul
was
their
shepherd
first
and
they're
supposed
to
imitate
him
and
one
of
the
things
he
did
was
that
he
first
came
to
them
and
told
them
about
the
gospel
of
Christ
when
they
had
never
heard
it
before
verse
21
he
testified
to
Jews
and
Greeks
of
repentance
to
all
God
and
faith
in
our
Lord
Jesus
Christ
now
that
will
undoubtedly
be
a
major
part
of
Andrew's
ministry
and
we
have
already
prayed
and
we
will
go
on
praying
that
the
Lord
will
use
him
to
bring
many
people
who
today
do
not
know
of
Christ
to
membership
in
this
flock
those
whom
God
has
bought
but
as
yet
do
not
know
it
to
understand
what
they
have
been
bought
for
but
in
the
first
instance
it
is
you
in
this
church
for
whom
God
has
sent
his
spirit
in
order
to
set
Andrew
aside
to
be
your
shepherd
it's
an
indication
of
his
care
for
you
to
feed
you
and
care
for
you
therefore
it is
essential
that you
must pray
for him
you must
receive
him
as from
the hand
of the
Lord
Jesus
Christ
you must
honour
him
thank
God
for
him
hear
his
teaching
gladly
encourage
him
submit
to
him
out
of
thankfulness
to
Christ
all of
those
things
are
part
of
the
duty
the
glad
and
happy
duty
that
is
yours
as a
result
of
today
but now
I need
to turn
to you
Andrew
and to
say
some
things
more
directly
to
you
and this
is
the second
part of
what I
have to
say
you
must
as Paul
says
here
pay
attention
to
yourself
and
to
all
the
flock
pay
careful
attention
to
yourself
and
to
all
the
flock
this
is
the
reason
why
you
must
do
so
because
you
have
been
set
aside
to
shepherd
those
bought
with
nothing
less
than
the
blood
of
Christ
the
oversight
the
shepherding
must
be
what
your
life
is
all
about
if
you
look
back
to
verse
24
this
in a
sense
must
now
be
your
watch
word
as
Paul
says
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
Christ
so
you
must
pay
attention
to
yourself
and
to
the
flock
let's
do
those
two
things
one
at
a
time
you
must
pay
attention
to
yourself
it
is
your
duty
to
maintain
yourself
as
a
fit
instrument
for
the
Holy
Spirit
to
do
this
great
work
through
Paul
describes
in
verse
33
his
own
purity
of
heart
I
coveted
no
one's
silver
or
gold
or
apparel
that
means
clothing
I
didn't
allow
myself
to
get
into
this
for
the
money
or
for
other
benefits
that
come
from
it
you
too
must
watch
yourself
you
must
cultivate
and
preserve
your
holiness
and
the
godliness
of
your
life
Andrew
you
must
be
rigorous
in
putting
your
sinful
flesh
to
death
don't
allow
sinful
habits
to
rise
up
in
you
and
when
they
do
because
they
will
you
must
not
allow
them
to
remain
don't
let
yourself
grow
fond
or
tolerant
of
the
weeds
that
grow
in
the
garden
of
your
soul
it
must
be
your
daily
duty
to
examine
yourself
and
to
put
those
things
to
death
positively
you
must
cultivate
patterns
of
worship
and
of
prayer
of
repentance
and
praise
of
reading
of
scripture
and
the
praying
of
the
psalms
for
yourself
one
of the
greatest
temptations
and
the
easiest
adjustments
to
make
in
a
life
of
a
minister
is
to
cut
down
on
private
prayer
and
devotion
to
make
space
for
all
the
multitude
of
other
things
that
you
need
to
do
but
you
must
not
do
so
paying
careful
attention
to
yourself
means
you
must
develop
your
abilities
your
knowledge
your
skills
in
teaching
you
must
identify
your
weaknesses
and
work
hard
to
overcome
them
you
must
strive
to
live
the
kind
of
life
which
is
an
example
to
all
Paul
speaks
about
that
as
well
verse
35
in
that
by
working
hard
in
this
way
we
must
help
the
weak
hypocrisy
is the
easiest
thing
for a
minister
of
the
gospel
to
achieve
all
you
have
to
do
is
do
nothing
to
oppose
it
and
you
will
become
a
hypocrite
to
teach
one
thing
while
your
life
starts
to
look
like
something
else
it's
terrifyingly
easy
ask
yourself
with
every
sermon
you
prepare
am
I
myself
doing
the
things
which
I'm
calling
God's
people
to
do
practice
your
discipline
make
sure
your
life
is
well
ordered
organize
and plan
what
you
will
do
when
fight
the
wasting
of
time
fight
the
lusts
of
your
heart
the
moment
they
arise
be
ready
for
reflection
all
these
things
you
are
called
to
do
pay
careful
attention
to
yourself
but
alongside
that
you
must
pay
careful
attention
to
the
flock
pay
careful
attention
to
the
flock
now
it's
obvious
why
isn't
it
now
it is
as if
you
have
been
given
an
incredibly
precious
heirloom
bought
by
someone
you
love
and
said
!
remember
this
there
is
nothing
more
valuable
in
the
world
than
the
flock
over
whom
you
have
been
placed
therefore
pay
careful
attention
to
them
be
diligent
in
your
preparation
you'll
soon
learn
that it's
impossible
to
prepare
as
well
as
you
would
like
to
that's
always
true
but
never
let
that
be
an
excuse
for
preparing
less
well
than
you
could
or
should
be
diligent
in
considering
what
you
should
teach
Paul
says
in
verse
27
he
didn't
shrink
from
declaring
the
whole
counsel
of
God
everything
that
the
flock
needs
here
you
have
the
privilege
of
having
Paul
tell
you
what
to
do
sometimes
and
but
you
won't
always
and
you
must
be
careful
and
prayerful
am
I
covering
all
that
the
Lord's
people
need
to
hear
am
I
giving
the
sheep
the
full
diet
that
they
need
for
them
to
be
healthy
you
must
pay
careful
attention
to
their
protection
verse
29
I
know
that
after
my
departure
fierce
wolves
will
come
in
among
you
not
sparing
the
flock
from
among
your
own
cells
will
arise
men
speaking
twisted
things
to
draw
away
the
disciples
after
them
it's
your
task
to
protect
the
church
it
can
be
an
unpleasant
task
you'll
have
to
read
about
things
that
you
would
much
rather
not
think
about
listen
to
speakers
who
are
awful
and
teachers
who
speak
of
wickedness
but
don't
shirk
the
task
for
you
must
do
it
for
the
protection
of
the
people
the
flock
for
whom
Christ
shed
the
blood
of
God
you
must
be
ready
to
do
all
of
these
things
and
it
is
an
enormous
task
today
you
have
been
set
aside
so
that
your
life
no
longer
is
about
yourself
your
life
from
today
is
about
shepherding
the
flock
of
God
pay
careful
attention
to
yourself
and
to
all
the
flock
which
well
I don't
know how
we're all
feeling
about
all
of
that
perhaps
some
of
you
are
feeling
a bit
sorry
for
Andrew
now
I've
said
all
of
those
things
Andrew
maybe
you
yourself
are
a little
overawed
by it
and rightly
so
who is
equal
to a
task
like
this
how can
Andrew
or Paul
or Reuben
or any
of the
elders
who've
been
gathered
here
how can
any
man
do
what
has
been
set
aside
here
how can
God
put
into
the
hands
of
people
like
us
something
so
valuable
it was
bought
with
God's
own
blood
how can
any of
us
imagine
that we
are
fit
for
such
a
charge
well the
answer is
we are
not
but
remember
Andrew
the rest
of the
elders
of this
church
and I
say this
to myself
as well
we are
instruments
in God's
hands
appointed
by the
Holy
Spirit
and
equipped
by
him
the
Spirit
calls
us
to
the
task
Andrew
the
Spirit
has
called
you
to
this
task
and he
will
equip
you
for
it
and so
what
does this
mean
what do
we do
with the
enormity
of this
task
the answer
is
we
must
pray
that's
the last
and very
simple
thing
to see
and I
think
this
beautiful
scene
at the
end
of it
verse
36
when he
had said
all these
things
he knelt
down
and prayed
with
them
all
and that
they're
all
weeping
and that
they weep
with sorrow
because they're
not going to
see Paul
again
Paul knows
by the
Spirit
that he's
never going
to be a
free man
again
he's going
to Jerusalem
he doesn't
know exactly
what will
happen
but he
knows he
will be
arrested
and indeed
Paul is
never free
again
from that
point
onwards
they're
not going
to see
him
again
so they're
deeply
grieved
out of
their love
for Paul
but I
think a
big part
of this
is also
this sense
of
they are
now the
ones
holding
the baby
up till
now it's
always been
possible to
say
well when
Paul comes
we can
ask him
what to
do
we can
go to
Paul
years ago
I used
to run
a children's
holiday
camp
and
for the
first few
years I
did it
I was
just a
junior
leader
under
another
leader
a chap
called
Peter
who was
absolutely
brilliant
he always
knew what
to do
in every
circumstance
and then
one year
he asked
me and
another
chap if
we would
take over
and we
did
and we
had one
year where
he was
still
in charge
but he
didn't
really do
much
we ran
it
but he
was
there
so we
could
go to
him
and
say
what
do
we
do
with
this
what
about
that
and it
we
carried on
doing it
for about
another
ten years
and I
never
got away
from the
thought of
thinking
I need
to ask
Peter
what to
do
next
I
can't
decide
what to
do
what do
I do
I'm not
big enough
for this
job
and I
think
that's
what these
elders and
Ephesus are
feeling
it's like
when Paul
is gone
the flock
is now
in our
hands
what can
we do
with a
task
like
this
how
are
we
equal
to
it
well
there
is
only
one
thing
to
do
verse
36
is
that
they
kneel
down
and
they
pray
and cry
to
the
Lord
cry
to
the
Holy
Spirit
who
has
appointed
them
to
equip
them
for
a
task
so
great
and
so
precious
and
that
therefore
is
what
we
all
must
do
so
you
congregation
of
IPC
Eling
you
must
pray
diligently
for
Andrew
and for
all
your
elders
and
Andrew
you
must
pray
diligently
and the
rest of
the elders
you must
pray
with him
we must
pray for
the spirit
to equip
us
to equip
you
to be
faithful
shepherds
of
a flock
of
a flock
bought
with
the
blood
of
God
himself
well
shall
we
do
that
right
now
let's
bow
our heads
and let's
pray
let's