Wednesday Night Bible Study

call your attention tonight for our Bible study to two verses. We have been uh moving through the uh summer curriculum of our Bible class and uh our uh lessons the past several weeks have been dealing with uh so beautifully the ministry of Paul and uh the things that happened from his conversion uh to uh his missionary journeys. And tonight is a a very special, of course, I I say that every week because I feel like all the word of God is special, but uh it's a special teaching that I want us uh to uh study for just a little while tonight. Calling your attention to the book of Acts, the 20th chapter. We're going to read two verses uh to start our study. Acts 20 uh verses 16 and 17. For Paul had determined to sail by Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia, for he hasted if it were possible for him to be at Jerusalem the day of Pentecost. Verse 17. And from Mileus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church. The title that our curriculum gives our study tonight is I will be faithful to my spiritual disciplines and church attendance. But I will subtitle it with my own title and I call this Paul's leadership staff meeting. We're going to get to hear what Paul taught to the leaders tonight. Let's pray. Savior, I love you. I thank you for the privilege that we have of feasting at your table once again. Lord, let your word always fall fresh on our ears and into our heart. God, let it give us guidance, direction, and Lord, let it encourage and strengthen us. Lord, let us speak as your mouthpiece this night as we study. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. And amen. The Christian community in Ephesus was established by Paul when he came and found disciples of John the Baptist. You can read about this back in Acts 19. Paul continued to share and reinforce the gospel that John the Baptist had preached. And these disciples of John the Baptist received the Holy Ghost and were baptized. So Paul began establishing a work in Ephesus, a church in Ephesus. And he was there for three years. And uh if you'll recall, Paul is the one who made the proclamation that uh he was uh uh the apostle to or the he was uh ministering to the Gentiles. And while he was there in Ephesus, he was of course preaching to anyone who would believe, but he was converting Jews and Gentiles. But he also faced much opposition from the established Jews in Ephesus. He uh while he was there after that three years he felt a leading and a call to continue his travels to go to Macedonia then to Greece and his ultimate direction was to go to Jerusalem for the day of Pentecost and eventually to Rome. but on his way back from Macedonia, just again giving us a little bit of a um historic background of how things evolve to where our study is tonight. Paul in his haste wanting to get back to Jerusalem sent word that he wanted now to meet with the leaders of the church at Ephesus that he had established. So he called a staff meeting of the leaders. Now understand Paul had spiritual insight and was intuitive enough to know that very likely and history will bear it out. This would be the last opportunity for him to meet with the leaders of the church he had established face to face. He later on, and we'll study a bit of that even later on in this study, would pin a letter from prison to the church at Ephesus. But here in Acts, he is indeed speaking to the leaders of the church at Ephesus. In fact, he mentioned in Acts 20:25, he said, "And now, behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more." He said, "This is it. This is our last face-to-face meeting." And the mutual love that Paul and the leaders of the church are well established when they have this meeting together. And in another passage, we'll see again that he refers to this being his last time with them because again, we must remember the day we're talking about. There would be no quick flights back from Rome to Ephesus to visit the church. There would be no FaceTime or teleconferences, no group calls. This was the last time that Paul would be able to from his own mouth face to face instruct the leaders. There was deep care for the church he had established. It was his baby, if you will. Paul cared deeply about the church at Ephesus and the feelings were reciprocal with the leaders. They cared deeply about him. So our study tonight will deal mainly with the teachings that he would give the leadership of the church. Paul reminded the leaders of Ephesus that from the first day he came to them that he had done everything he could to be an example to them. Acts 20 and 18 says, "And when they were come into him, he said unto them, Ye know from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you in all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the line and weight of the Jews." Now understand Paul is not self- argandizing and bragging on himself but he instead is encouraging the leaders to adopt his same leadership qualities. You know when when he spoke to the Corinthians Paul said it something like this. He said be follow be ye followers of me even as I also are am of Christ. Paul was not trying to elevate his expertise and all he was done, but he was reminding these leaders that I've been with you in a lot of things in a lot of seasons. He was not talking about winter, spring, summer, and fall. But he was talking about seasons of success and seasons of trials. He said, "I've been with you in a lot of different situations. we've we've faced all kind of things together. He said uh uh with humility of mind we've had to guard ourselves for you got to remember Paul when he preached Christ to the religious elite of that day was not always accepted. Yes, sometimes his message fosters success, but you can also find that his teaching and his contending for the faith actually cause riotist behavior by the religious elite of that day. So he was reminding him, we've had to keep an humbleness of mind in dealing and establishing this church at Ephesus. Paul was not ashamed of his character. There were times that dealing with the community and dealing with the authorities of that day that Paul had to give his own pedigree. Now let me pause here. Uh, I certainly am not one who encourages people. I I I think it it uh really turns folks off when folks brag on their own abilities and qualifications too much. But there are also times in this world that we achieve validation that makes our message received by a lost world. I I'm thankful here at First Apostolic Church. If I could give a a quick testimony that I remind us when Bishop Mcool got a call to come to Knoxville, every time I've heard him testify about it, and we've repeated this before, but to make you aware to be applicable to what we're speaking about, Bishop Mcool would always say that God called him to come to Knoxville and start a church and a Christian school. And this mission statement that he's given many times is part of or a great part of the mission of First Apostolic Church. Now uh education alone will not save you but ignorance will not save you either. Okay? And I I hope you can understand what I'm saying. For we deal with all walks of life. Everyone. Every walk of life. We want to be able to minister and to relate. Jesus was able to contend with the elect of his day educationally, but he could also get down on the level of shepherds who didn't have the formal education, but in their field, they were experts. Understand we should never look down our nose at any vocation or say that someone is lesser because they do this versus they do that. And a degree or lack thereof does not determine your spirituality. However, in this world, God had a call 70 years ago for someone to come to what is now known, we know, as a college town. He didn't know it back then. He Bishop and Sister Mcool didn't know they were coming to quote a a town that would be influenced greatly by education. But I do know that nowadays that God had given great insight for us to understand that it would be through education that the enemy would slip in and try to influence generation after generation after generation and that we would have the opportunity to get the credentials and the credibility of degreed people. We have folks with their doctrines and their masters in the church. Are you bragging? No. But sometimes we need to understand that God puts us in a place and equips us at such a time to minister to the community that we live in. SUCH WAS WITH PAUL. PAUL wasn't bragging, but sometimes he had to say, "Hey, listen. I'm a Roman citizen. I've got some rights." when he would deal with the legalities that was the intertwining of the Judaism that was being ruled by Rome and sometimes when it was to his advantage he had to posture himself and say look I'm a Roman citizen I've got some rights here but all the time in the back of his mind he was using that to carry the gospel we have a lot of outreaches a lot of different ministries that we use here at First Apostolic Church But every one of those are aimed at leading folks to the gospel, whatever walk of life they're in. IF THEY'RE HIGHLY EDUCATED OR THEY haven't had the PRIVILEGE OF HAVING AN EDUCATION, BUT THEY'RE VOCATIONALLY SOUND AND SO TALENTED IN OTHER AREAS. GOD WANTS EVERYBODY TO hear his word and equips us to carry that word. >> So, uh I hope you can see the vision there. Paul was preaching to these church leaders. He was giving them direction and guidance and he was letting them know, reminding them what he had done as an example to them. Paul preaching to the church leaders was telling them how to live to be fully mature disciples of Jesus. And he was explaining to them there was a time that he needed to preach to leaders and there was other times he needed to preach to the church and to sinners. God's preached word and taught word will be ministered to in many different ways and in many different times. Paul warned the Ephesian leaders against false teachers from without and within. We'll talk about that more. And Paul had preached publicly. He'd even taught in school. And he taught home Bible studies. Paul is your one of your original examples of a home Bible study teacher. It says that scripture tells us that Paul had taught at the school of Tyrannis. He had taught daily for two years there. He had also gone from house to house. You can Well, let me read it. Acts 2020 20 says that he's again given his credentials or his pedigree. He says, "And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you." He said, "I haven't been bleeding off of you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." He said, "I haven't been a respector of person." He had already proclaimed that he was uh the apostle to the Gentiles and uh he had preached to whoever would listen no matter their pedigree. In fact, if you go back to Acts 198, it says he went into the synagogue and spake boldly for the space of three months. man, he started going to the synagogue and was contending about Jesus, disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God. And his disputing with the denomin became so controversial. Verse 9 says, "But when divers were hardened and believed not, but spake evil of the way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one tyrannus." And this continued by the space of two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia, heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. It didn't say they all believed it or all received it, but they couldn't say they hadn't heard it. Let me tell you, I want everybody in the city of Knoxville to hear the gospel. WHETHER THEY RECEIVE IT OR NOT, I hope we are able to reach in so many areas. They can't say they didn't hear it. I WANT TO PREACH IT ON TELEVISION, ON THE INTERNET, on the radio, PUBLIC SPEAKING, ONE ON-ONE IN THE SCHOOL. WE NEED TO CARRY THE GOSPEL TO ALL THAT CAN HEAR. >> And Paul's reviewing with him. It's the last time he's going to get to have a leadership staff meeting. Because of Paul's consistent teaching in the public and in the private homes all heard the gospel. Paul gave an example of a need for corporate and private worship. Disciplehip combines worship when we get together. That's why we have Sunday morning, Sunday night get together on Wednesday night consistently. We we need the fellowship of of public worship. But there's also your in-house worship. Everybody needs to have in-house worship at your house. That don't mean going from a house to house and getting in trouble. It means taking care of your own house and having a holy house where you live, a place of prayer, a a a place that that God is preeminent in all you do. A fully formed disciple cannot have one without the other. Don't discount the importance of preaching, teaching, and personal one- on-one outreach. Again, I give that as example. That's why we have apostolic Christian school. Now, does that mean every moment of the day with our child care center and our school that everybody just goes through speaking with tongues, having a good No. But it means while we minister to the needs of the flesh to educate someone, we're in a Christian atmosphere and we have the opportunity to preach Jesus. Uh, does it mean that we have Christian athletics that the whole time our volleyball players are playing, they're saying, "Jesus, Jesus." No. Now, I've heard some of them praying. And let me pause with theology here. Don't think that because you're serving God that your team's going to always win. Because I got news for the other teams. Pray too. The Lord doesn't care about the final score, but he cares about your commitment. And he he will probably reward those who have prepared the best. And that's an example of your spiritual life. You'll get the most blessings in your spiritual life if you prepare the most. So Paul is reminding them that the church at Ephesus, it's three years plus old. And he he's reminding them what's brought them to this point. He was not afraid of difficult topics. Acts 20:27, he said, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." Paul wasn't a yes man when there was difficult questions. He was not afraid to approach those questions and give an answer even to the peril of dealing with again the religious elite of that day. But even within the church I quoted to you from Corinthians the 11th chapter. He said follow me as I follow Christ. Then he goes on in the 11th chapter of Corinthians when he taught the Corinthian church to set the church in order about some standards of appearance and standards of behavior. Paul was not afraid to declare the council of God. So this brings us then to some specific warnings that I want us to dwell on just a bit that Paul gave to the church. He was very careful to remind these leaders that they must preserve doctrinal integrity in the church. He said, "I'm leaving and after I leave, there's going to be an attack on your doctrinal integrity." Well, let me let me read it and we'll we'll we'll go through it and look at it. uh in Acts 20 beginning with verse 28 it says take heed therefore unto yourselves unto all the flock he refers to the the church as a flock a reference to sheep over which over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which he hath purchased with his own blood. Now, let's I want us to look at that verse. If you would, folks upstairs, keep that one up there for me for just a minute because I want us to to dissect that. He said, the first phrase is take heed therefore unto yourselves. He said, as a leader, you better take care of business of yourself first before you start teaching anybody else and telling anybody else how to live. You better make sure that you're living right. You are going to be as a leader an example. There is a responsibility that we carry if we're going to be mature leaders in Christ. This is not just for pastors, but it is mature Christian leaders. Take heed therefore unto yourselves. Make sure that you're not lacking in an example and to all the flock. Notice over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. What's he say? Don't absolve yourself of the responsibility of being an overseer. Some never want to lead but want the position of a leader. A leader has the responsibility to oversee. What's the deep meaning, brother Mcool? To be o overseer means to see over things. That's the deep meaning. An overseer. Seize over. Seize to it that things are done right. Seize to it that there is still doctrinal integrity and the church is not drifting to the left or the right. Why does Pastor Mool, Bishop Mcool, Pastor Whitley, Pastor Anthony, why do we end up answering a lot of questions? Because we're overseers. Why do school teachers and child care teachers end up dealing with classroom challenges? Because they're the overseer over their classroom. They have a responsibility and he's giving them a reminder. You must not absolve yourself of the leadership responsibilities that you have because you are called by the Holy Ghost. Who put you over it? The Holy Ghost put you over it. The Holy There's a Holy Ghost call to be an overseer of the church. It's more than a a degree from a seminary. It's more than a Bible co a Bible college degree. There is a call, a Holy Ghost anointing that goes along with leadership. And we must never fail to realize that he's reminding them this is a this is positive input. But he's reminding the leaders, you have a responsibility to be an overseer cuz the Holy Ghost put you there. And it's your responsibility to feed the church of God. He was not talking about anniversary meals and birthday dinners. He's talking about feed them the word. The church needs to hear the word. the and and did you know I'll talk about food a little bit in the comparison. I like variety in food. I you know I like to go to El Chico's but I'd get tired of that food if I had to eat that every day. I I like to go to Ichibon down here and have Asian food but I wouldn't want it every day. I I still even like quarter pounder with cheese. But I certainly don't want that every day. Variety is important. This is why we have camp meetings, conferences, different ministers come in. Monday night we had a marvelous marriage seminar for marriage couples that we brought in apostolic folk who taught. Now this this is a variety for the pallet of the church. He said you got TO FEED THE FLOCK. YOU GOT you got to you got to make sure that everything stays palatable. You know, it's not that uh you got this one dude that gets up and reads a monotone lesson and you're supposed to pick it out. It's a variety that makes the word inviting, but the message does not change. the salvation message. It may be presented from a great big tall guy from Mississippi at camp meeting, but it may be a guy that's vertically challenged like me that's teaching Bible on Wednesday night. There should be a variety there. And then he lets the leaders know, never mistake, this isn't your church. It's God's church. Because he paid the price for the church. He said, "Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers to feed the church of God which heath purchased with his own blood." Could I pause here? Is there anybody else in the house can see the Jesus name apostolic oneness message in this verse? I hope I hope you have the intuitive intuitiveness and the maturity to right here. Look at this. Let's pause. Paul gave some insight into what he believed. The Holy Ghost inspired the leaders. The Holy Ghost called them. Who did the ho who whose church were they ministering to? God's church. Who shed his blood? Jesus. Who's God? I mean, as Bishop used to say, a blind man in a dark ROOM WITH LEATHER GLASSES can see that. If Jesus was God manifest in flesh and the spirit of God is the Holy Ghost, these three are one. RIGHT THERE IN THAT ONE PASSAGE, PAUL JUST LET THEM KNOW ONE MORE TIME, THIS IS GOD'S CHURCH. WHO PURCHASED IT? GOD PURCHASED IT WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. WHO SHED HIS BLOOD? JESUS DID. THEY'RE ONE AND THE SAME. THEY'RE NOT A THIRD OF GOD. THEY'RE NOT A PART OF GOD. BUT JESUS WAS GOD MANIFEST IN FLESH. HE TOLD THE LEADERS, "WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEPARATE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO VARY FROM THE DOCTRINE OF WHO JESUS REALLY IS." OH, HALLELUJAH. >> Isn't that beautiful? And then he let them know. He said, "Now, when I leave, you're going to be attacked. The church will be attacked from without by predatory individuals. He called them grievous wolves looking to divide, to scatter, to feed on the saints. There will be doctrines and heresies. There will be attacks from the outside that's going to attack you. leaders, you need to be prepared for that to buff it away and to be aware to do your job as an overseer when you see something that would try to enter from without and would affect and attack the church. You've got to have the intestinal fortitude to stand up and cry out against sin. We preached it Sunday night, but I'll repeat it. Sometimes you can't soft soak it. You got to call sin sin. You've got to call it out. It doesn't matter what's considered the so-called social norms. Who wants to be normal anyway? Man, that's boring. I want to be like Christ. I don't care what the social norms are because they're GOING TO CHANGE WITH every whm, EVERY NEW IDEOLOGY. THE SOCIAL norms will change. But Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. HE WARNED THEM. HE SAID, "THERE'S GOING TO BE ATTACKS, PREDATORY ATTACKS THAT'LL TRY TO TEAR THE CHURCHES UNDER. DON'T LET IT HAPPEN." >> But then he didn't stop there. He started pointing fingers at the leaders at the church. He said, "Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them." I remember bishop telling about a fellow that approached him. him. He said, "Well, the problem I've got with the apostolic church," he said, "It just seems that the leadership, the pastor in particular, just sits too deep in the saddle." That was the words he used. because he was from a denominal church that they had committees that tried to influence what was preached, how long it was preached. They didn't like what was preached, they'd take a vote and get a new pastor. You see, Paul is warning the leaders that as an overseer, you have the responsibility to look within the church and that there would be some that arise that would pervert the mission of the church. that he he uses the word that word he said speaking perverse things. Now the word perverse has multiple meanings but the word perverse defined means showing a deliberate or obstinate desire to behave in a way that is unreasonable or unacceptable often in spite of the consequences. Contrary to the accepted and expected standard of pract practice, a law or verdict against the weight of evidence of direction of the judge on a point of law or even sexual perversion. Paul didn't say that was going to be the grievous wolves. He said that would rise up in the church. Sadly, I've seen many churches divided from within when someone feels that God's given them more insight than the leadership of the church. Those are the individuals that all individuals that they want to form their own unsanctioned committees. They are looking for allies to their point of view. They love this phrase. Well, everybody thinks I'm just speaking for everybody else. People have been coming to me and saying to me, pastor, and I'm just I'm speaking for everybody else. And when the truth is ain't nobody been coming to them, they've been going to people. Now, if you think pastors got an agenda, something going on, ain't nothing going on. So, quit worrying about that. But I am doing some pastoral teaching right now. Don't ever catch yourself joining with those who would pervert the mission of the church. Never mistake, we're going to have a lot of different ways we reach out, but everything is about winning souls. There's going to be things that you're going to like, and there's going to be things you don't like. But if those things that you don't like supersede the mission of the church, you can find yourself being those within that are perverting the gospel and the direction that the church would go. Don't ally yourself with one that would take us away from our mission. You see, Paul was having a staff meeting with the leaders. Never discount the ministry of teaching. I find teacher in what in one of the five is we commonly refer to. is not a scriptural statement but of the fivefold ministries. The being a teacher is part of the word of God being presented. Man, I I love camp meetings. I love the preach word of God, the excitement, the uh uh camaraderie of worship together, all this. But there are times that what we're doing tonight, not because I'm doing the teaching, but I again will will quote Paul. I magnify my office, it's so important that we allow the word of God to be taught to us in an atmosphere of gaining knowledge and receiving knowledge. It takes all of it. The preached word, the taught word, the one-on-one. We we we mentioned this before. And then Paul even went on and quoted Jesus in the latter part of Acts 20. His farewell reminder. He quoted Jesus. He said, "It's more blessed to give than to receive." Ever heard our bishop quote that? Have you Have you ever at off offering time heard bishop say, "It's more blessed to give and to receive than to receive?" He's just quoting Jesus when he says that. But Paul was expressing a position of service to leaders that you should give. Give of yourself, give of your finances, give of your resources, give of your time, give of your effort to be a leader. You see, this idea of godly leadership in Paul's absence was instructions that would keep the church at Ephesus. But it's also instructions to the church in general that we can follow today. For we find indeed Paul would make his journeys and would ultimately end up pinning letters back to the churches. He was so truthful in his statement. This the last time we'll be face to face. And he would begin to write to the church at Ephesus. Now he's addressing not just the leaders but the entire church in Ephesus rather in yeah in Ephesians 1 one he says Paul an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God to the saints which are at Ephesus. I'm not speaking just to the leader I'm speaking to the whole church he says and to the faithful in Jesus Christ. Grace be to you and peace from God our father, from the Lord Jesus Christ. The Ephesians had heard the gospel. They had responded through his ministry to repentance and water baptism in Jesus' name. God had sealed them with the Holy Ghost. And that initial experience had radically changed their lives. But Paul knew there was potential for growth in the church and of the church after he was gone. Ephesians 1:15 says, "Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and the love of unto all saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers." Paul was praying for the church. I've got news for you. Good leaders will always pray for the church. When there's one in need in the church, the leaders are praying. The leaders are believing God for help for the church. He said in verse 17, "That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, the eyes of your understanding, being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in all the saints." He's bragging on the church. He's telling, "I'm praying for you. LOOK AT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING FROM THE CHURCH. THE WISDOM, the knowledge, the revelation, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power to usward who believe according to the working of his almighty power. He's telling THE EPHESIANS, "YOU'RE POWERFUL. YOU'RE A POWERFUL CHURCH." HE'S SENDING ENCOURAGEMENT to the church. The the leadership should be encouraers. We should be encouraers of others. We who are mature in Christ, we should encourage THE WEAK. YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO FIND BABY SAINTS coming into the church that they're facing a lot of battles and trials and they need to have strong leaders LIKE YOURSELVES THAT CAN SAY YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT. THE HOLY GHOST BROUGHT ME THROUGH THIS. I'VE GOT A TESTIMONY. LET ME TELL YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE IT. >> These letter this letter would be a letter of encouragement, instructions, and reminders to the church. And Paul would reinforce apostolic theology. If you think that you're going to stop hearing the apostolic message preached from this pullpit because we feel like it's repetitious, you're so sorely mistaken. We're going to keep preaching the apostolic message. The truth and the simplicity of the salvation message. The truth of holiness and holy living. Here's what he he told the Ephesians in Ephesians 4:1. Therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, he wouldn't even give those who had him in bonds credit for be the one that's given. He said, I'm a prisoner of the Lord. The only reason I'm in prison is because the Lord's allowed it. I'm not going I'm not going to give the Romans any any credit for me being a prisoner. He said, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord beseech you that you walk worthy of the vocation wherewith you're called. Stay with your calling with all loneliness and meekness, longsuffering, forbearing one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. He said there needs to be peace and unity in the church. There is one body and one spirit. Even ye are called in one hope of your calling. One Lord, one faith and one baptism, one God and father of all who is above all, through all and in you all. Ah, he's repeating in his letter. You know, I I I don't really think Paul was a southerner cuz it would have said one God and father of all who is above all through all and in y'all. Uh he said in you all. Okay. So remember it's in all of us. But unto every one of US IS GIVEN GRACE according to the measure of the gift of Christ. He's given them a reminder of the theology that was established in the beginning of the church at Ephesus. Sometimes we need to be reminded of who we really are. And then you know what he said? Now this he's writing a letter. He just encouraged him. Then he said just in case he said, "Y'all need to grow up." That's what he said. Well, Ephesians 4:14, that we hence be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie and wait to deceive, but speaking the truth AND LOVE, MAY GROW up into him, and all things which is the head, even to Christ. He's telling the church, you need to mature. We can't forever be dealing with the petty, childish things that we had when in the beginning. This church is maturing now. There's some things that we need to do as a mature church. That's what he's telling the Ephesians. You see, he reminds them of where they came from. Verse 17. This I say therefore and testify in the Lord that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk in the vanity of their mind. You can't be like the world that you came out of. He remember he's the apostle to the Gentiles, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them because of the blindness of their hearts, who being past feelings have given themselves over to lasciviousness to work all uncleanness and greediness. He said, "It's time to put off that old man. Put on the new man. take on the identity of the children of light, not the children of darkness. Verse 22, let me let me hasten that same chapter. Verse 22, that you put off concerning the former conversations the old man which is corrupt according to the deceitful lust and being renewed in the spirit of your mind. Oh, what beautiful instruction to the church. and that you put on the new man which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. He was reminding the church, you know, trying not to read too much into it, but just look at what it is. If there's true holiness, you know what that lets me know? There's also false holiness. I mean, uh, that's reasonable. Uh it means there will be those who out of hypocrisy claim they're holy, but they're not. That true holiness will be within and without. So I take us to the close of this study. A prophet named Agabus. And I'm taking us back now to our leadership seminar that Paul taught. There was a prophet named Agabus had warned Paul that he was facing imprisonment if he traveled to Jerusalem. And again I remind you he knew he would never see these leaders face to face again. And we read earlier how he told them this would be. But at his departing here in Acts, here's the way he closed his staff meeting. Acts 20:36, it said, "And when he had thus spoken, he kneled it down and prayed with them all." It's good lesson learned. That's a good way to end a staff meeting. Fact, it's a good way to begin a staff meeting. In fact, if staff meeting gets too tense, it's a good thing to do in the middle of a staff meeting to have prayer. And it says, "And they all wept sore, fell on Paul's neck." You could you can in in in this passage, you can see the real love that these leaders had for Paul and what he had done for them. They all wept sore. They fell on Paul's neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spake that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. They were hanging on Paul's very last words because they knew that the mantle was being passed to them. Some And I I I do close with this little aside and story. Some 25 years ago, I believe approximately it was I would know that I would tell you this. This was the 50th anniversary of the Assemblies of the Lord Jesus Christ. And I believe that was in 2002. They were having their general ministry conference. in Birmingham, Alabama, and Bishop was asked to speak as one of the keynote speakers at this 50th anniversary celebration of the ALJC. And Bishop preached a message that he entitled the last words of David. And he read from 2 Samuel 23 1-3. Let me read it to you. It says, "Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, the man who was raised up on high, anointed of God of Jacob and the sweetest psalmist of Israel said the spirit," this was his last words. Now understand the staff meeting, they just got to hear Paul's last face-to-face words. This is David's last words. And Bishop was preaching this to the conference. He said, 'The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his words was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake unto me. And here's what he said. He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And then Bishop told and read a portion of the story that I'll read to you. Thomas Edison died October 18th, 1931. with a quote a rack of eight empty test tubes close to his bedside. For a man who whose real love was chemistry, recounted his son Charles, it was not strange but symbolic that those test tubes were close to him at the end. Just after Edison died, Charles asked the attending physician to seal the glass tubes with paraffin. Charles later gave one of those test tubes to Edison's friend and admirer, Henry Ford. Henry Ford had once worked for Edison, and they had mutual admiration for each other. Edison as the inventor that we credit with inventing the light bulb, Henry Ford inventing the automobile. And they there had actually been uh collaboration of ideology for Henry Ford in his admiration of being an inventor for Thomas Edison. Charles, the son of Thomas Edison, later gave one of the test tubes to Edison's friend and Henry Ford. For many years, it was on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan under the label Edison's last breath. Then Bishop asked the question as he preached, "If I could give my last breath and words, what would they be?" We knew the last words of David and the last breath of Edison. And Bishop began handing out test tubes from 25 years ago. I still have my test tube, Dad. I know of nothing that I have that's more valuable. And he he didn't just hand me this test tube alone. He started handing them out to everybody. Everybody's on the platform. I remember brother Carpenter, he handed brother Carpenter a test tube. And in his message, he said, "Open that test tube up. What's the last words? What what would Bishop want to be the last words that you remember him by? Still got it. So I started opening up this little strip of paper and it says, "Then Peter said unto them, repent and be baptized every one of you in the NAME OF JESUS CHRIST FOR THE REMISSION OF sins and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost." Would you stand with me? It was true 25 years ago. It was true ON THE DAY OF PENTECOST. And I'm here TO TELL YOU, THE SALVATION MESSAGE has not changed. If we're going to BE THE LEADERS THAT GOD WOULD BE PLEASED WITH, IF WE'RE GOING TO CARRY OUT THE MISSION STATEMENT OF THE GOSPEL AND THE GOOD NEWS, WE'VE GOT TO KEEP PREACHING TRUTH WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S IN US. WE'VE GOT TO CARRY THIS GOSPEL TO A LOST WORLD. Would you lift your hands and love Jesus? Savior, I LOVE YOU. GOD, I THANK YOU FOR THE GOSPEL THAT YOU HAVE PRESENTED TO US so freely. God, never let me sherk my responsibility to preach your word. God, as we go forward as a church that you have God ordained and called, let every person in this room be a leader in carrying the gospel. Let us mature in you. Let us go stronger in you. Let us carry the message to all that would hear and receive. God, we thank you. We praise you. We love you. In the name of Jesus, we pray. Amen. And amen. Lord bless you. Please be here Sunday morning expecting a great time in the Lord. You're dismissed in Jesus' name. Shake hands and be friendly.