WEBVTT 00:00:10.060 --> 00:00:14.599 We have been continuing our study in the book 00:00:14.599 --> 00:00:21.800 of Acts, and this week we come to verses 25 through 00:00:21.800 --> 00:00:28.600 27. Paul says this, And now, behold, I know that 00:00:28.600 --> 00:00:32.340 all of you, among whom I went about preaching 00:00:32.340 --> 00:00:37.270 the kingdom, will no longer see my face. Therefore 00:00:37.270 --> 00:00:40.829 I testify to you this day that I am innocent 00:00:40.829 --> 00:00:44.789 of the blood of all men, for I did not shrink 00:00:44.789 --> 00:00:49.030 from declaring to you the whole purpose of God. 00:00:50.609 --> 00:00:54.869 We see a break taking place, or a shift taking 00:00:54.869 --> 00:00:59.149 place in this text in many ways. Paul has been 00:00:59.149 --> 00:01:04.140 alluding to the fact that he is leaving. He's 00:01:04.140 --> 00:01:07.219 going to depart. He's going to Jerusalem. And 00:01:07.219 --> 00:01:12.000 he's going to suffer. And now he straightforwardly 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:19.480 says, you're not going to see me anymore. You 00:01:19.480 --> 00:01:23.780 will no longer see my face. And then interestingly 00:01:23.780 --> 00:01:29.840 enough, immediately following this, he makes 00:01:29.840 --> 00:01:34.659 known the state and condition. of his own conscience 00:01:34.659 --> 00:01:40.040 with regards to his ministry. He declares that 00:01:40.040 --> 00:01:44.659 his conscience is clean with regards to the discharge 00:01:44.659 --> 00:01:51.219 of his preaching and teaching and his apostolic 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:55.120 ministry among the church at Ephesus and among 00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:00.200 the elders of Ephesus. And he gives the reason 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:06.060 for this. In verse 27. Or the basis for this 00:02:06.060 --> 00:02:10.020 clean conscience. The fact that he did not shrink 00:02:10.020 --> 00:02:15.860 from declaring to them the whole purpose of God. 00:02:16.219 --> 00:02:21.900 He didn't recoil at speaking difficult truths 00:02:21.900 --> 00:02:27.280 to the people of God. But he did proclaim the 00:02:27.280 --> 00:02:34.120 full counsel of God to the people. Today we're 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:38.340 going to consider, in examining this text, the 00:02:38.340 --> 00:02:41.340 solemn occasion for Paul's testimony concerning 00:02:41.340 --> 00:02:45.960 his conscience. We see this in verse 25. We're 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:50.719 going to consider the clear state of Paul's conscience. 00:02:50.979 --> 00:02:55.560 We see this in verse 26. And then we'll also 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:59.219 consider the basis for his clear conscience in 00:02:59.219 --> 00:03:04.469 verse 27. beginning with the first in verse 25. 00:03:06.610 --> 00:03:14.930 Paul, in this text, puts forward the fact that 00:03:14.930 --> 00:03:18.469 he will no longer be among the people of God 00:03:18.469 --> 00:03:23.270 and the elders in Ephesus. He will no longer 00:03:23.270 --> 00:03:25.770 be seen. He will no longer be able to be interacted 00:03:25.770 --> 00:03:28.770 with. He will no longer be preaching and teaching 00:03:28.770 --> 00:03:31.770 to them. He will no longer be ministering to 00:03:31.770 --> 00:03:35.150 them. He's putting forward the fact that this 00:03:35.150 --> 00:03:40.469 is it with regards to his relationship with the 00:03:40.469 --> 00:03:45.169 Ephesian elders and the Ephesian church. Notice 00:03:45.169 --> 00:03:50.469 that there's a sense of finality with Paul and 00:03:50.469 --> 00:03:55.069 his words to the Ephesian elders. And now, behold. 00:03:56.330 --> 00:04:00.750 I know that all of you among whom I went about 00:04:00.750 --> 00:04:07.129 preaching the kingdom will no longer see my face. 00:04:07.909 --> 00:04:11.330 Now we think about the relationship between Paul 00:04:11.330 --> 00:04:15.729 and the church at Ephesus and those elders. We 00:04:15.729 --> 00:04:18.389 know that he ministered there for two years. 00:04:18.509 --> 00:04:23.029 He worked alongside the brothers and sisters 00:04:23.029 --> 00:04:26.560 in Ephesus. He had a good relationship with him. 00:04:26.600 --> 00:04:29.819 He was successful there. The Lord built the church. 00:04:29.939 --> 00:04:33.339 He established a church there. We saw miraculous 00:04:33.339 --> 00:04:37.920 things take place in Ephesus. Imagine the bond 00:04:37.920 --> 00:04:45.839 between the Apostle Paul and his co -labors in 00:04:45.839 --> 00:04:48.959 Ephesus. Remember, he's talking to the elders 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:54.879 of Ephesus. One thing you learn about... pastoral 00:04:54.879 --> 00:04:58.180 ministry is that the more you're in the trenches 00:04:58.180 --> 00:05:00.699 together, the more you labor together, the more 00:05:00.699 --> 00:05:03.160 you work together, the more you suffer together, 00:05:03.399 --> 00:05:06.199 the more you hurt together, the more of a bond 00:05:06.199 --> 00:05:09.040 and a fellowship and a community takes place 00:05:09.040 --> 00:05:15.019 among brothers and sisters in Christian service. 00:05:16.339 --> 00:05:22.360 So we imagine Paul. And the trials he endured 00:05:22.360 --> 00:05:25.959 in Ephesus and these elders of the church of 00:05:25.959 --> 00:05:30.980 Ephesus, the bond that was present there. And 00:05:30.980 --> 00:05:36.459 here he is clearly saying, you will no longer 00:05:36.459 --> 00:05:40.600 see me. It's as though he's giving his final 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:44.819 will and testament with regards to the church 00:05:44.819 --> 00:05:49.339 of God in that place. It carries a certain... 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:56.959 Weight and gravity to it. But also, see how he 00:05:56.959 --> 00:06:02.480 characterizes his time among them. He says this 00:06:02.480 --> 00:06:06.680 in verse 25, among whom I went about preaching 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:11.259 the kingdom. So Paul characterizes the whole 00:06:11.259 --> 00:06:15.740 of his ministry, the whole of his time in Ephesus 00:06:15.740 --> 00:06:20.750 as preaching the kingdom. The reality that the 00:06:20.750 --> 00:06:24.170 Lord Jesus is the Messiah, that he's come and 00:06:24.170 --> 00:06:26.889 he has inaugurated the kingdom of God, and that 00:06:26.889 --> 00:06:30.009 one day it will be fully and finally consummated 00:06:30.009 --> 00:06:35.069 at his return invisibly. It will be known to 00:06:35.069 --> 00:06:40.310 the entire world. He went about preaching and 00:06:40.310 --> 00:06:45.350 teaching the people of Ephesus alongside These 00:06:45.350 --> 00:06:47.829 elders and preaching and teaching and raising 00:06:47.829 --> 00:06:51.750 up and training and equipping the elders themselves. 00:06:53.470 --> 00:06:57.529 So in many ways, we have to ask the question, 00:06:57.790 --> 00:07:04.449 why is Paul making known the state of his conscience 00:07:04.449 --> 00:07:08.689 here? On this solemn occasion, why is this the 00:07:08.689 --> 00:07:11.769 thing that he wants to make sure that he emphasizes 00:07:11.769 --> 00:07:16.000 to them? Well, I think there's a few reasons 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:19.740 that he makes known the state of his conscience, 00:07:19.800 --> 00:07:23.259 the fact that he is innocent of the blood of 00:07:23.259 --> 00:07:28.000 all men. He wants to make known the fact that 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:30.939 he can leave the people of God in that place 00:07:30.939 --> 00:07:36.500 with a clear conscience, knowing that he has 00:07:36.500 --> 00:07:39.139 performed his duty and he has done what he needs 00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:43.319 to do in that place, and he can leave. free of 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:47.019 guilt, knowing that he has been faithful to his 00:07:47.019 --> 00:07:51.500 commission in Ephesus and among those people. 00:07:51.839 --> 00:07:56.120 But also we see, I think, a transition that Paul 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:59.560 is wanting to emphasize. He wants to make sure 00:07:59.560 --> 00:08:05.000 the Ephesian elders know, listen, I'm not going 00:08:05.000 --> 00:08:11.319 to be in charge anymore. You, as the elders of 00:08:11.319 --> 00:08:15.250 the church, will now have sole responsibility 00:08:15.250 --> 00:08:19.949 for administering the word of God and administering 00:08:19.949 --> 00:08:24.129 the ministry of the word to the people in Ephesus. 00:08:24.230 --> 00:08:27.769 He's saying, I will no longer have anything to 00:08:27.769 --> 00:08:33.070 do with this. It's going to be on you. But he 00:08:33.070 --> 00:08:40.340 also wants to clarify the fact That he has no 00:08:40.340 --> 00:08:44.720 known culpability on his conscience. No known 00:08:44.720 --> 00:08:49.720 guilt or shame. Because he has proclaimed the 00:08:49.720 --> 00:08:54.799 gospel rightfully. And that when men reject the 00:08:54.799 --> 00:08:59.840 gospel. Or men apostatize. Or men rise up to 00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:03.820 be false teachers. As we see he speaks of later. 00:09:05.019 --> 00:09:12.460 That. guilt falls on those individuals not on 00:09:12.460 --> 00:09:17.700 him who proclaimed the gospel or on the elders 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:22.059 who would faithfully Lord willing discharge their 00:09:22.059 --> 00:09:26.679 responsibilities as well. He wants the elders 00:09:26.679 --> 00:09:31.179 of the church at Ephesus to know that when men 00:09:31.179 --> 00:09:33.720 reject the gospel and you have rightfully proclaimed 00:09:33.720 --> 00:09:37.669 the gospel it falls on the individual and the 00:09:37.669 --> 00:09:41.730 one responding. He wants them to move forward 00:09:41.730 --> 00:09:46.549 without Him, understanding and grasping that 00:09:46.549 --> 00:09:51.710 reality, that they might not become disheartened. 00:09:52.590 --> 00:09:56.409 We read this a little bit later in verse 29, 00:09:56.769 --> 00:10:01.070 or we'll start in verse 27, 28. He says this, 00:10:01.149 --> 00:10:04.639 Be on guard for yourselves. and for all the flock, 00:10:04.960 --> 00:10:08.320 among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, 00:10:08.379 --> 00:10:11.580 to shepherd the church of God, which he purchased 00:10:11.580 --> 00:10:17.259 with his own blood. I know that after my departure, 00:10:17.299 --> 00:10:20.919 savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing 00:10:20.919 --> 00:10:25.679 the flock. And from among your own selves, men 00:10:25.679 --> 00:10:29.179 will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw 00:10:29.179 --> 00:10:35.659 away the disciples after them. Paul wants to 00:10:35.659 --> 00:10:39.840 make clear to the elders, and he wants the elders 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:41.899 to understand in their own hearts and their own 00:10:41.899 --> 00:10:47.000 minds, that when men apostatize from the faith, 00:10:47.320 --> 00:10:53.039 that is on those who apostatize from the faith. 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:59.379 That is not on them or the church. He wants to 00:10:59.379 --> 00:11:04.549 communicate this clearly and fully. to the people 00:11:04.549 --> 00:11:11.450 of God. Now, Richard Baxter said this with regards 00:11:11.450 --> 00:11:15.889 to his preaching. He said, I preached as never 00:11:15.889 --> 00:11:22.830 to preach again, and as a dying man to dying 00:11:22.830 --> 00:11:29.610 men. We think about that quote. What is this 00:11:29.610 --> 00:11:34.419 old Puritan saying, brothers and sisters? This 00:11:34.419 --> 00:11:38.940 old Puritan is saying that every time he preaches 00:11:38.940 --> 00:11:42.899 the word of God, he does so with a certain urgency. 00:11:44.360 --> 00:11:51.000 Because we're not promised tomorrow. So though 00:11:51.000 --> 00:11:55.360 there's no transition taking place like Paul 00:11:55.360 --> 00:11:58.639 and the Ephesian elders, though nobody's leaving 00:11:58.639 --> 00:12:02.399 or departing, there is ample application for 00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:05.409 us. in this text, brothers and sisters, because 00:12:05.409 --> 00:12:09.870 you and I ought to always come to the Word of 00:12:09.870 --> 00:12:12.429 God with a certain urgency. Do you know why? 00:12:13.789 --> 00:12:17.750 Because you and I are not promised tomorrow. 00:12:20.429 --> 00:12:26.049 I'm not promised next week. There is no guarantee 00:12:26.049 --> 00:12:31.019 that I wake up on Saturday or Sunday next week 00:12:31.019 --> 00:12:33.720 to preach the Word of God. The Lord may see fit 00:12:33.720 --> 00:12:37.820 to take me home any day. And the same is true 00:12:37.820 --> 00:12:47.299 of each of you. So, how does that inform our 00:12:47.299 --> 00:12:51.340 mutual approach to the Word of God as preacher 00:12:51.340 --> 00:12:58.210 and hearer? If we don't know, That we will hear 00:12:58.210 --> 00:13:01.549 the Word again. That we are dealing with eternal 00:13:01.549 --> 00:13:05.950 realities and never dying souls. How ought we 00:13:05.950 --> 00:13:09.769 to preach it? And how ought we to hear the Word 00:13:09.769 --> 00:13:14.950 of God? Should there be a degree of anticipation 00:13:14.950 --> 00:13:21.509 and eagerness and expectation of looking forward 00:13:21.509 --> 00:13:24.970 to hearing from God's voice and to hearing what 00:13:24.970 --> 00:13:28.990 God has For me this week. Should there be an 00:13:28.990 --> 00:13:31.950 urgency. With regards to the truth. Knowing. 00:13:32.669 --> 00:13:35.009 That we are dealing with never dying eternal 00:13:35.009 --> 00:13:38.230 souls. And that any one of us. Can die any day. 00:13:38.929 --> 00:13:42.909 And go and be with the Lord. There always ought 00:13:42.909 --> 00:13:48.250 to be. A sense of gravity. And urgency. As we 00:13:48.250 --> 00:13:53.519 approach. The word of God. Paul knew this. He 00:13:53.519 --> 00:13:57.179 understood this, brothers and sisters. And it's 00:13:57.179 --> 00:13:59.519 something for us to meditate and consider as 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:05.179 well as those who are creatures of habit. It 00:14:05.179 --> 00:14:08.399 is such a blessing that God is ordained that 00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:13.240 we worship Him every single week. Because we 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:16.799 need to worship God every single week. And His 00:14:16.799 --> 00:14:21.840 worth and His value to be worshiped has never 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:25.419 diminished and it never will diminish. But brothers 00:14:25.419 --> 00:14:28.440 and sisters, as people, when we do things over 00:14:28.440 --> 00:14:33.799 and over and over, there's a tendency to just 00:14:33.799 --> 00:14:38.299 settle into a routine and not think about what 00:14:38.299 --> 00:14:43.899 we are doing and the significance of what we 00:14:43.899 --> 00:14:50.970 are doing. We have to always consider. The significance 00:14:50.970 --> 00:14:56.830 of worshiping the living God week in and week 00:14:56.830 --> 00:15:01.629 out. The great priority and privilege of this 00:15:01.629 --> 00:15:05.629 reality, but also the sobriety and the reverence 00:15:05.629 --> 00:15:09.750 and the joy and the hope that God has allowed 00:15:09.750 --> 00:15:13.350 us and commanded us to partake in as a result 00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:19.899 of worshiping Him week in and week out. Now, 00:15:19.899 --> 00:15:22.700 the second thing we have to consider is the clear 00:15:22.700 --> 00:15:27.759 state of Paul's conscience. We see this in verse 00:15:27.759 --> 00:15:34.179 26. Therefore, I testify to you this day that 00:15:34.179 --> 00:15:39.919 I am innocent of the blood of all men. Now, what 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:43.100 does it mean when Paul says that he is innocent 00:15:43.100 --> 00:15:48.169 of the blood of all men? He is saying that he 00:15:48.169 --> 00:15:52.929 has a clean conscience with regards to the ministry 00:15:52.929 --> 00:15:59.129 that Christ has entrusted to him. It means that 00:15:59.129 --> 00:16:03.289 his conscience is not accusing. His conscience 00:16:03.289 --> 00:16:08.429 is not antagonistic towards him and the way that 00:16:08.429 --> 00:16:11.190 he has conducted himself among the people of 00:16:11.190 --> 00:16:14.190 God and the way that he has carried himself and 00:16:14.190 --> 00:16:16.889 the way that he has preached. The word of God 00:16:16.889 --> 00:16:21.509 among the people of Ephesus. His conscience is 00:16:21.509 --> 00:16:26.070 clean. Paul's understanding of a clean conscience 00:16:26.070 --> 00:16:30.049 with regards to his apostolic ministry is informed 00:16:30.049 --> 00:16:33.970 by the Old Testament, I believe. If we turn to 00:16:33.970 --> 00:16:42.610 the book of Ezekiel, chapter 33, we read of the 00:16:42.610 --> 00:16:49.840 watchman's duty. And here's what Ezekiel says. 00:16:50.139 --> 00:16:53.779 Or here's what the word of the Lord says. And 00:16:53.779 --> 00:16:57.399 the word of the Lord came to me saying, Son of 00:16:57.399 --> 00:17:01.720 man, speak to the sons of your people and say 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:06.700 to them, If I bring a sword upon a lamb and the 00:17:06.700 --> 00:17:09.420 people of the land take one man from among them 00:17:09.420 --> 00:17:14.819 and make him their watchman and he sees the sword 00:17:14.819 --> 00:17:18.019 coming upon the lamb, and he blows on the trumpet 00:17:18.019 --> 00:17:23.019 and warns the people. Then he who hears the sound 00:17:23.019 --> 00:17:26.559 of the trumpet and does not take warning, and 00:17:26.559 --> 00:17:29.720 a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will 00:17:29.720 --> 00:17:36.220 be on his own head. In verse 5, He heard the 00:17:36.220 --> 00:17:39.400 sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning. 00:17:40.099 --> 00:17:43.700 His blood will be on himself, but he had to take 00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:48.000 warning. But had he taken warning, he would have 00:17:48.000 --> 00:17:50.339 been delivered. He would have delivered his life. 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:54.700 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and 00:17:54.700 --> 00:17:58.700 does not blow the trumpet, and the people are 00:17:58.700 --> 00:18:02.460 not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person 00:18:02.460 --> 00:18:06.039 from them, he is taken away in his iniquity, 00:18:06.039 --> 00:18:11.500 but his blood I will require from the watchman's 00:18:11.500 --> 00:18:17.329 hand. So what's the imagery that Ezekiel is conveying? 00:18:17.789 --> 00:18:20.750 It's the Lord brings an invading army against 00:18:20.750 --> 00:18:25.670 Israel. And Israel takes one man, the prophet 00:18:25.670 --> 00:18:30.789 of God, and puts him up on a wall. And the prophet 00:18:30.789 --> 00:18:34.809 of God is up watching the borders of Israel. 00:18:35.589 --> 00:18:38.730 Looking for invaders. Looking for threats. Looking 00:18:38.730 --> 00:18:41.849 for dangers. And he sees the invading army coming. 00:18:42.029 --> 00:18:45.349 And the watchman, the prophet, blows the trumpet 00:18:45.349 --> 00:18:48.329 because he sees the threat. And he warns the 00:18:48.329 --> 00:18:51.029 people. And the people hear the trumpet. And 00:18:51.029 --> 00:18:53.970 men ignore it. And they're taken and blood is 00:18:53.970 --> 00:18:59.970 shed. Whose head is that blood guilt on? The 00:18:59.970 --> 00:19:02.789 individual taken. Because they did not heed the 00:19:02.789 --> 00:19:08.519 warning. But. If the people take the prophet, 00:19:08.779 --> 00:19:12.299 put him on the wall, he sees the danger, yet 00:19:12.299 --> 00:19:16.000 he fails to warn the people. Someone is taken, 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:22.039 then whose head is that blood guilt on? The watchman. 00:19:22.400 --> 00:19:28.160 The prophet of God. This is what Paul is drawing 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:32.160 from. He's saying that he has been like a prophet. 00:19:32.380 --> 00:19:36.119 He's been like the watchman who's seen the danger, 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.279 seen the warning. He's been given the truth. 00:19:38.359 --> 00:19:40.880 He's been given the message. He's blown the trumpet. 00:19:41.339 --> 00:19:45.420 He's proclaimed the truth. And he's free of all 00:19:45.420 --> 00:19:51.539 men's blood. Now Paul is also building off of 00:19:51.539 --> 00:19:55.599 the teaching of the Lord Jesus himself. In Matthew 00:19:55.599 --> 00:20:04.400 chapter 10. Verse 14, we read this. Starting 00:20:04.400 --> 00:20:09.619 in verse 12. As you enter the house, give it 00:20:09.619 --> 00:20:13.420 your greeting. If the house is worthy, give it 00:20:13.420 --> 00:20:16.059 your blessing of peace. But if it's not worthy, 00:20:16.240 --> 00:20:20.640 take back your blessing of peace. Whoever does 00:20:20.640 --> 00:20:24.599 not receive you, nor heed your words, as you 00:20:24.599 --> 00:20:28.740 go out of that house or that city, Shake off 00:20:28.740 --> 00:20:32.400 the dust of your feet. Truly, I say to you, it 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.740 will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom 00:20:35.740 --> 00:20:38.200 and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for 00:20:38.200 --> 00:20:43.160 that city. The Lord Jesus taught the same thing 00:20:43.160 --> 00:20:48.859 that's taught in Ezekiel 33. That when the gospel 00:20:48.859 --> 00:20:51.980 message is proclaimed and men reject it, their 00:20:51.980 --> 00:20:56.299 blood guilt is upon their own head. And what 00:20:56.299 --> 00:20:59.599 is the symbolic action that they are to do? Shake 00:20:59.599 --> 00:21:03.279 off the dust of their feet. Now, Paul has historically 00:21:03.279 --> 00:21:07.119 implemented this same thing in his own ministry. 00:21:07.359 --> 00:21:11.599 We saw the very thing that we are speaking of 00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:16.359 take place in Acts chapter 18, two chapters prior 00:21:16.359 --> 00:21:21.920 to Acts 20. We read this in Acts chapter 18, 00:21:22.079 --> 00:21:25.750 verses 1 through 6. After these things, he left 00:21:25.750 --> 00:21:28.849 Athens and went to Corinth, and he found a Jew 00:21:28.849 --> 00:21:34.029 named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently 00:21:34.029 --> 00:21:37.369 come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because 00:21:37.369 --> 00:21:40.549 Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave 00:21:40.549 --> 00:21:43.769 Rome. He came to them, and because he was of 00:21:43.769 --> 00:21:46.569 the same trade, he stayed with them, and they 00:21:46.569 --> 00:21:50.730 were working, for by trade they were tent makers. 00:21:51.690 --> 00:21:54.910 And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath 00:21:54.910 --> 00:22:00.230 and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when 00:22:00.230 --> 00:22:04.130 Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul 00:22:04.130 --> 00:22:06.930 began devoting himself completely to the word, 00:22:06.990 --> 00:22:11.349 solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was 00:22:11.349 --> 00:22:14.049 the Christ. And then listen to this in verse 00:22:14.049 --> 00:22:19.759 6. But when they resisted and blasphemed, He 00:22:19.759 --> 00:22:23.299 didn't just take his sandals. Listen to what 00:22:23.299 --> 00:22:28.119 Paul does. He shook out his garments and said 00:22:28.119 --> 00:22:32.640 to them, Your blood be on your own heads. I am 00:22:32.640 --> 00:22:36.200 clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles. 00:22:36.880 --> 00:22:42.099 The same exact practice that Paul has always 00:22:42.099 --> 00:22:46.500 held to. This is what he is conveying to the 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:49.960 Ephesian elders. This is what he wants them to 00:22:49.960 --> 00:22:54.380 understand. That his conscience is clean of shame 00:22:54.380 --> 00:22:57.519 and guilt with regards to how he has administered 00:22:57.519 --> 00:23:03.140 and discharged his ministry among them. Why was 00:23:03.140 --> 00:23:08.299 this so important to Paul? Was this a significant 00:23:08.299 --> 00:23:12.000 aspect of his life and his ministry? A clean 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:15.900 conscience? Why is it necessary? Why is it important? 00:23:17.099 --> 00:23:20.720 Well, we find throughout the book of Acts that 00:23:20.720 --> 00:23:23.079 this is actually something that was very, very 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:27.980 important to the Apostle Paul. Keeping a clean 00:23:27.980 --> 00:23:32.920 conscience with God and men. We read in Acts 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:37.920 chapter 24, verse 16. The Apostle says this. 00:23:38.700 --> 00:23:45.440 In view of this, I also do my best to maintain 00:23:46.269 --> 00:23:51.089 always a blameless conscience both before God 00:23:51.089 --> 00:23:56.789 and before men. And then we read in chapter 23, 00:23:57.109 --> 00:24:03.130 verse 1, Paul, looking intently at the council, 00:24:03.250 --> 00:24:09.490 said, Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly 00:24:09.490 --> 00:24:15.400 good conscience before God up to this day. Notice 00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:19.500 in that text he includes his prior life to conversion 00:24:19.500 --> 00:24:27.000 and his life as an apostle. So Paul was scrupulous. 00:24:28.160 --> 00:24:32.720 He was strict with regards to his conscience. 00:24:33.079 --> 00:24:36.859 He knew that it was vitally important that he 00:24:36.859 --> 00:24:41.799 maintain his conscience before God and men as 00:24:41.799 --> 00:24:45.519 a minister of the gospel. and as a believer in 00:24:45.519 --> 00:24:48.480 Jesus Christ, because he knew that Jesus Christ 00:24:48.480 --> 00:24:56.859 alone is Lord of the conscience. He always worked 00:24:56.859 --> 00:25:02.380 towards this. He always strived for this. And 00:25:02.380 --> 00:25:05.019 just as it was important to the Apostle Paul, 00:25:05.420 --> 00:25:10.000 brothers and sisters, maintaining and valuing 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.150 and keeping a clean conscience, Ought to be important 00:25:14.150 --> 00:25:20.289 to every single believer in Jesus Christ. Every 00:25:20.289 --> 00:25:27.029 single one. Not just ministers of the gospel. 00:25:27.750 --> 00:25:33.329 Not just apostles in the first century. But everybody 00:25:33.329 --> 00:25:37.970 who knows the Lord through Christ. Ought to value 00:25:37.970 --> 00:25:42.319 keeping a clean conscience. Do you know why? 00:25:44.559 --> 00:25:50.880 Because God has given us our conscience. Because 00:25:50.880 --> 00:25:56.059 Jesus Christ died, his sacrifice is applied to 00:25:56.059 --> 00:25:58.779 the people of God to cleanse the conscience from 00:25:58.779 --> 00:26:04.180 dead works, to serve the living God. One of the 00:26:04.180 --> 00:26:09.920 great blessings. of the sacrifice of Christ being 00:26:09.920 --> 00:26:14.460 applied to a person is to have their conscience 00:26:14.460 --> 00:26:20.500 cleansed of guilt and shame. No longer to live 00:26:20.500 --> 00:26:24.619 in misery and contradiction and antagonism of 00:26:24.619 --> 00:26:27.500 that internal voice condemning you by the law 00:26:27.500 --> 00:26:33.289 of God. Christ frees a Christian from that. when 00:26:33.289 --> 00:26:36.130 he grants them faith and repentance and gives 00:26:36.130 --> 00:26:41.309 them a new ruling nature in regeneration. It 00:26:41.309 --> 00:26:44.289 ought to be important for every single believer 00:26:44.289 --> 00:26:49.809 because God has given it to us and the conscience 00:26:49.809 --> 00:26:55.630 has a distinct purpose in the life of God's people. 00:26:56.309 --> 00:27:02.930 Just as cars have warning signals, Just as cars 00:27:02.930 --> 00:27:07.390 have warning signs that pop up that warn us when 00:27:07.390 --> 00:27:11.650 something's come bad or wrong. They usually work, 00:27:11.750 --> 00:27:16.910 not always. The conscience is a warning signal 00:27:16.910 --> 00:27:23.569 that God has given to the believer to keep them 00:27:23.569 --> 00:27:27.609 within the bounds of that which pleases God. 00:27:28.170 --> 00:27:31.490 Now, here's... Something important to understand 00:27:31.490 --> 00:27:38.349 about our conscience. It's not infallible. Meaning 00:27:38.349 --> 00:27:42.450 the conscience is actually malleable and it can 00:27:42.450 --> 00:27:46.329 be formed and shaped. It is not an infallible 00:27:46.329 --> 00:27:51.390 guide like the Word of God is. So that brings 00:27:51.390 --> 00:27:54.329 us back to why it's important that Christians 00:27:54.329 --> 00:27:59.289 take care of their conscience. If our conscience 00:27:59.289 --> 00:28:05.470 can be formed and shaped, if our conscience can 00:28:05.470 --> 00:28:09.890 be molded to be more in line with the law of 00:28:09.890 --> 00:28:15.049 God, or less in line with the law of God, and 00:28:15.049 --> 00:28:17.490 the scripture even tells us that a person's conscience 00:28:17.490 --> 00:28:23.250 can be seared. Like someone's taking a branding 00:28:23.250 --> 00:28:26.500 iron, And stuck it on there and seared it off 00:28:26.500 --> 00:28:29.039 to where it no longer functions. It no longer 00:28:29.039 --> 00:28:32.460 has any sensory to it. It no longer has any response 00:28:32.460 --> 00:28:38.720 to it. It's seared. It's burned. But that doesn't 00:28:38.720 --> 00:28:42.799 always take place in one thing. That can take 00:28:42.799 --> 00:28:49.539 place in gradations. In degrees. So why is it 00:28:49.539 --> 00:28:52.390 important that you watch your conscience? That 00:28:52.390 --> 00:28:54.670 you value your conscience as a believer in Jesus 00:28:54.670 --> 00:28:59.549 Christ? Because if you're not careful, and you 00:28:59.549 --> 00:29:03.470 consistently live against your conscience, or 00:29:03.470 --> 00:29:06.890 consistently live against the Word of God, there 00:29:06.890 --> 00:29:09.269 is the possibility that you, as a blood -blood 00:29:09.269 --> 00:29:15.769 believer, can lose your true north. That's a 00:29:15.769 --> 00:29:17.430 scary thought, isn't it, brothers and sisters? 00:29:18.289 --> 00:29:22.720 That you can think that you are right, You're 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:25.220 headed in the right direction, but all the time 00:29:25.220 --> 00:29:29.220 your conscience isn't working as it ought because 00:29:29.220 --> 00:29:34.160 you've been suppressing it in favor of corruption 00:29:34.160 --> 00:29:39.279 and carnality or pride and arrogance or whatever 00:29:39.279 --> 00:29:44.480 it might be. Believers can get off track because 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:49.960 their conscience is not infallible. The conscience 00:29:49.960 --> 00:29:55.279 must be formed continually and consistently according 00:29:55.279 --> 00:30:01.059 to and by the word of the living God. There are 00:30:01.059 --> 00:30:06.759 believers in this room, I am confident, that 00:30:06.759 --> 00:30:09.380 are not living in accordance with their conscience. 00:30:11.240 --> 00:30:14.779 They are doing things in their life that their 00:30:14.779 --> 00:30:18.160 conscience says don't do. And there are believers 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:22.660 in this, who are not doing things that their 00:30:22.660 --> 00:30:27.640 conscience says do. You are suppressing and you 00:30:27.640 --> 00:30:30.480 are pushing the conscience back. You are fighting 00:30:30.480 --> 00:30:33.720 against it as an antagonistic. Brothers and sisters, 00:30:33.839 --> 00:30:37.559 that is a dangerous, dangerous place to play. 00:30:38.299 --> 00:30:41.339 You're not dealing with a dollar bill that you 00:30:41.339 --> 00:30:43.359 just toss over, you crumble and you lose it and 00:30:43.359 --> 00:30:46.140 it's insignificant. You are dealing with a God 00:30:46.140 --> 00:30:49.599 -given apparatus. in your being that he has given 00:30:49.599 --> 00:30:52.539 for your good and your holy living to honor him. 00:30:54.819 --> 00:30:58.680 You do not want to live in the place where you 00:30:58.680 --> 00:31:03.180 are rejecting your conscience because sooner 00:31:03.180 --> 00:31:07.700 or later, if you continue in that path, its voice 00:31:07.700 --> 00:31:13.839 will get less and less and less. And you will 00:31:13.839 --> 00:31:18.500 grow harder and harder and harder. You will become 00:31:18.500 --> 00:31:22.940 more and more calloused. You will become less 00:31:22.940 --> 00:31:26.359 and less sensitive to the work of the Spirit 00:31:26.359 --> 00:31:29.420 of God within you, to the voice of God through 00:31:29.420 --> 00:31:33.819 the Scriptures in your life. So if you are in 00:31:33.819 --> 00:31:37.380 that place, whatever reason it might be, get 00:31:37.380 --> 00:31:42.160 out! Stop what it is you're doing. Get out of 00:31:42.160 --> 00:31:45.559 it. Change your life. way that your conscience 00:31:45.559 --> 00:31:49.920 is informing you to do. The way the word of God 00:31:49.920 --> 00:31:55.059 directs you to do. So, if that's you, what do 00:31:55.059 --> 00:32:00.000 you do? Brothers and sisters, you cry out to 00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:05.720 God. Lord, forgive me of my sin. I repent of 00:32:05.720 --> 00:32:09.900 my sin. Lord, renew the sensitivity of my conscience. 00:32:10.500 --> 00:32:15.059 Lord, remove the shame. Remove the sense of guilt 00:32:15.059 --> 00:32:18.440 in my life. Help me to live for Your honor. Help 00:32:18.440 --> 00:32:21.660 me to live for Your glory. And I know that Christ 00:32:21.660 --> 00:32:24.960 and His righteousness alone is the basis of my 00:32:24.960 --> 00:32:30.880 good standing in Your presence. Don't stay in 00:32:30.880 --> 00:32:36.519 that place. It is dangerous. If you continue 00:32:36.519 --> 00:32:40.380 going down that road, There is the very real 00:32:40.380 --> 00:32:43.720 chance that you will never recover in this life 00:32:43.720 --> 00:32:48.259 as you ought to. You will never serve the Lord 00:32:48.259 --> 00:32:53.279 as you ought to serve the Lord with a seared 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:57.740 conscience. You will never sing praises to God 00:32:57.740 --> 00:33:03.519 in the worship of God if you have suppressed 00:33:03.519 --> 00:33:08.400 the sound of your conscience. As you ought to. 00:33:09.819 --> 00:33:12.140 You will never be able to go to the throne of 00:33:12.140 --> 00:33:14.839 grace as you ought to. You will never be able 00:33:14.839 --> 00:33:17.160 to spend time with the Lord as you ought to. 00:33:17.200 --> 00:33:19.720 You will never know the power of the Holy Spirit 00:33:19.720 --> 00:33:23.019 and vitality of His influence in your life if 00:33:23.019 --> 00:33:27.119 you are constantly rejecting and denying the 00:33:27.119 --> 00:33:29.720 work of the Spirit of God in your life in and 00:33:29.720 --> 00:33:34.000 through the conscience that God has given to 00:33:34.000 --> 00:33:41.819 you. Get out of that place. Turn to God in repentance 00:33:41.819 --> 00:33:48.960 and Christ in faith. Reorient your life and determine 00:33:48.960 --> 00:33:52.619 that you will live unto God for His glory no 00:33:52.619 --> 00:33:55.680 matter what and saturate yourself in the Word 00:33:55.680 --> 00:34:02.259 of God. Reshape and reform your conscience according 00:34:02.259 --> 00:34:07.960 to revealed, infallible, inerrant truth and doctrine 00:34:07.960 --> 00:34:13.480 in the word of God. So it's very important that 00:34:13.480 --> 00:34:19.559 we think and care and consider the state of our 00:34:19.559 --> 00:34:25.179 own conscience before the living God. Now for 00:34:25.179 --> 00:34:32.960 Paul, what was the basis of his clear conscience? 00:34:34.440 --> 00:34:38.340 This is the last thing we have to consider. Why 00:34:38.340 --> 00:34:42.579 was he able to say, my conscience is clear with 00:34:42.579 --> 00:34:47.280 regards to his ministry? We read in verse 27, 00:34:47.500 --> 00:34:55.960 For I did not shrink from declaring to you the 00:34:55.960 --> 00:35:03.110 whole purpose of God. Paul explains that the 00:35:03.110 --> 00:35:08.389 basis for his clear conscience is not perfection, 00:35:08.610 --> 00:35:13.530 but faithfulness in the ministry that Christ 00:35:13.530 --> 00:35:18.809 has given to him. That he proclaimed the truths 00:35:18.809 --> 00:35:24.090 of Scripture regardless of what it was. That 00:35:24.090 --> 00:35:27.769 he proclaimed the whole purpose, the whole counsel 00:35:27.769 --> 00:35:33.599 of God. Now this term, we'll expand on it more 00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:37.960 next week, Lord willing. But it means the whole 00:35:37.960 --> 00:35:44.099 breadth of Revelation. Every part of Revelation. 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:50.659 All that God has made known. It's boule in Greek. 00:35:50.719 --> 00:35:55.159 The whole boule of God. Of God's counsel. Not 00:35:55.159 --> 00:36:00.869 God's mind. But the revealed. purpose, redemptive 00:36:00.869 --> 00:36:06.489 purposes of God. Now, in this, it's interesting 00:36:06.489 --> 00:36:08.929 that Paul says he proclaims the whole counsel 00:36:08.929 --> 00:36:14.210 of God, but at the heart of that, what is it? 00:36:14.670 --> 00:36:22.389 The gospel. He says in verse 25, he says in verse 00:36:22.389 --> 00:36:28.210 24, I apologize. But I do not consider my life 00:36:28.210 --> 00:36:31.670 of any account as dear to myself, so that I may 00:36:31.670 --> 00:36:34.849 finish my course and the ministry which I receive 00:36:34.849 --> 00:36:39.670 from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the 00:36:39.670 --> 00:36:45.590 gospel of the grace of God. So, Paul, in his 00:36:45.590 --> 00:36:50.210 apostolic ministry, proclaims the entire counsel 00:36:50.210 --> 00:36:55.980 of God to these people. Yet, He proclaims the 00:36:55.980 --> 00:37:03.019 gospel specifically in relation to all the counsel 00:37:03.019 --> 00:37:08.039 of God. That was the heartbeat of his message. 00:37:08.099 --> 00:37:13.480 Was Christ and his redemptive work and its relation 00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:19.820 to the whole counsel of God. So Paul ministers 00:37:19.820 --> 00:37:25.619 and he administers the word of God. Faithfully. 00:37:25.619 --> 00:37:30.940 He can say, I have performed my duty to God and 00:37:30.940 --> 00:37:37.619 men. I am innocent of the blood of all men. Likely 00:37:37.619 --> 00:37:43.199 meaning Jew and Gentile that has heard the gospel 00:37:43.199 --> 00:37:48.139 as he proclaimed it. Now we think about this 00:37:48.139 --> 00:37:53.039 entire section. We think about the solemn occasion. 00:37:54.039 --> 00:37:57.340 We think about the clear state of the apostles' 00:37:57.679 --> 00:38:00.699 conscience. And we think about the fact that 00:38:00.699 --> 00:38:05.559 Paul is faithful to his calling that Christ has 00:38:05.559 --> 00:38:10.159 given to him, that he wants to honor Christ and 00:38:10.159 --> 00:38:15.119 to live unto the glory of God. It's really remarkable 00:38:15.119 --> 00:38:20.239 when you think about it. This whole section is 00:38:20.239 --> 00:38:26.349 in stark contrast. To the person Paul used to 00:38:26.349 --> 00:38:31.309 be. If we think about Acts chapter 8. And Acts 00:38:31.309 --> 00:38:37.090 chapter 9. What do we find of Saul of Tarsus? 00:38:38.230 --> 00:38:42.630 We find that he hated the church of the living 00:38:42.630 --> 00:38:47.510 God. We find that he was actually breathing hatred 00:38:47.510 --> 00:38:52.230 and murderous wrath essentially. Against them. 00:38:53.389 --> 00:38:59.469 He certainly had the guilt of men on his account. 00:39:00.789 --> 00:39:06.570 He approved wholeheartedly and stood around and 00:39:06.570 --> 00:39:11.670 approved of the stoning and the murder of Stephen. 00:39:12.269 --> 00:39:17.309 And he sought out to bring other Christians to 00:39:17.309 --> 00:39:20.929 their death, to squash this movement called the 00:39:20.929 --> 00:39:23.239 way. He did it with his whole being. his whole 00:39:23.239 --> 00:39:25.840 mind, everything that he possessed in and of 00:39:25.840 --> 00:39:29.619 himself, he hated Christ and he hated the church 00:39:29.619 --> 00:39:35.320 of God. Yet, here we find, he is able to say, 00:39:35.360 --> 00:39:39.260 I am innocent of the blood of all men. Brothers 00:39:39.260 --> 00:39:45.380 and sisters, how is that possible? How is it 00:39:45.380 --> 00:39:49.500 possible that a man who is responsible for the 00:39:49.500 --> 00:39:52.800 death of innocent disciples Genuine believers 00:39:52.800 --> 00:39:56.980 in Jesus Christ can say, I am innocent of the 00:39:56.980 --> 00:40:00.480 blood of all men. And how is it that this man 00:40:00.480 --> 00:40:03.500 who once hated the church now wholeheartedly 00:40:03.500 --> 00:40:07.679 and willingly serves Jesus Christ with every 00:40:07.679 --> 00:40:13.420 fiber of his being? How is that possible? What 00:40:13.420 --> 00:40:17.460 is this stark contrast put on full display, brothers 00:40:17.460 --> 00:40:21.659 and sisters? It puts on full display the forgiveness 00:40:21.659 --> 00:40:26.099 of God, the free pardon of the gospel, and the 00:40:26.099 --> 00:40:30.320 transforming power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:40:32.139 --> 00:40:35.019 Do you know why Paul can say, I am innocent of 00:40:35.019 --> 00:40:37.900 the blood of all men? Because his sins are forgiven 00:40:37.900 --> 00:40:43.489 in Christ. There is no condemnation for Paul 00:40:43.489 --> 00:40:46.510 any longer. And it shows, brothers and sisters, 00:40:46.570 --> 00:40:49.789 that he has been pardoned completely and wholly 00:40:49.789 --> 00:40:53.909 of every single transgression that he has ever 00:40:53.909 --> 00:40:57.889 committed against the living God. But it also 00:40:57.889 --> 00:41:02.329 shows the power of the gospel to drastically 00:41:02.329 --> 00:41:07.329 change and transform an individual. This man 00:41:07.329 --> 00:41:10.130 who hated the church and opposed the church and 00:41:10.130 --> 00:41:13.369 persecuted the church is now serving Christ and 00:41:13.369 --> 00:41:15.889 he loves the church and even says, I would lay 00:41:15.889 --> 00:41:20.250 down my life for the gospel. What's happened 00:41:20.250 --> 00:41:24.389 to this man? Christ has given him a new nature 00:41:24.389 --> 00:41:26.670 and he has transformed him and he has made him 00:41:26.670 --> 00:41:34.349 new. Brothers and sisters, if you are in this 00:41:34.349 --> 00:41:40.440 room, And you have committed terrible sins. You 00:41:40.440 --> 00:41:44.739 have done horrible things. You have thought horrible 00:41:44.739 --> 00:41:48.400 things that dishonor God, that make Him angry. 00:41:48.500 --> 00:41:52.800 They are an abomination before Him. You live 00:41:52.800 --> 00:41:55.639 in open rebellion and hatred against the living 00:41:55.639 --> 00:42:00.940 God. I'm here to tell you that your sins can 00:42:00.940 --> 00:42:05.869 be forgiven. Your sins can be pardoned. In the 00:42:05.869 --> 00:42:08.969 gospel of Jesus Christ. I'm here to tell you. 00:42:09.030 --> 00:42:12.809 That though you may be a wretch now. If God chooses 00:42:12.809 --> 00:42:16.250 to set his grace upon you. You will be made new. 00:42:16.429 --> 00:42:18.610 And you will be transformed. And you will be 00:42:18.610 --> 00:42:21.309 made a new creature in Christ. And you will long 00:42:21.309 --> 00:42:26.730 to live. For his glory. You will long to be faithful 00:42:26.730 --> 00:42:29.670 to him. And he will make you faithful to him. 00:42:29.769 --> 00:42:33.989 We see the gospel. And the power of the gospel. 00:42:34.360 --> 00:42:38.579 on display in Paul's ability to say, I am innocent 00:42:38.579 --> 00:42:44.039 of the blood of all men. If you are here today, 00:42:44.219 --> 00:42:49.280 and you don't know Christ, and you are living 00:42:49.280 --> 00:42:53.260 a life of sin, if you will turn from your sin, 00:42:53.360 --> 00:42:55.960 and you will trust in Jesus Christ, then you 00:42:55.960 --> 00:42:59.719 will be made new, brothers and sisters, or sinner 00:42:59.719 --> 00:43:06.530 who doesn't know Christ. So the exhortation is 00:43:06.530 --> 00:43:11.630 to come to Christ and have your conscience cleansed 00:43:11.630 --> 00:43:17.590 from dead works to serve the living God. There's 00:43:17.590 --> 00:43:23.050 only one place that can take place. Men can work 00:43:23.050 --> 00:43:28.690 and strive and go on throughout their life trying 00:43:28.690 --> 00:43:35.239 to quiet Their conscience as unbelievers. Trying 00:43:35.239 --> 00:43:38.480 to persuade themselves that they are good enough 00:43:38.480 --> 00:43:41.059 for God and they are good enough to be accepted. 00:43:41.199 --> 00:43:45.500 My so -called righteousness is good enough for 00:43:45.500 --> 00:43:52.780 a holy God. That won't work. If you've sinned 00:43:52.780 --> 00:43:55.719 one single time, you have broken the entirety 00:43:55.719 --> 00:43:59.480 of the law. And you are condemned eternally. 00:43:59.900 --> 00:44:02.800 to suffer under the wrath of a holy and a righteous 00:44:02.800 --> 00:44:07.699 God. And you will. But if you wholeheartedly 00:44:07.699 --> 00:44:12.000 put your faith in Jesus Christ, His life, death, 00:44:12.280 --> 00:44:16.320 resurrection, and His person, then you will be 00:44:16.320 --> 00:44:19.820 spared of wrath, and you will be given eternal 00:44:19.820 --> 00:44:22.960 life, and you will know joy and hope and peace, 00:44:23.219 --> 00:44:26.159 and you will love God, and you will seek to be 00:44:26.159 --> 00:44:27.619 faithful to Him.