We're going to look at one verse
of Scripture in the book of Acts, verse 28. Before we look at that, I'd like
to just reflect, first of all, on some things that the Apostle
Paul had said. He said to the church at Colossae,
in Colossians chapter 3, verse 23, you do, do it heartily as to
the Lord and not unto men, whatever you do. Paul had told the brethren that
were from Ephesus when they had come to visit with him in this
particular chapter, verse 26-27, he said, Wherefore, I take you to record
this day. I'm pure from the blood of all
men. Acts 20, 26. For I have not shunned
to declare unto you all the counsel of God. He preached from his
soul. The Lord had given him a burden.
The message, but a burden for the message. And with a conscience that was
settled by the Spirit of God, Paul told these men, ruin and
condemnation, that is, ruin and condemnation to those that heard
him preach, would not be laid to his charge
because of his negligence to preach the gospel, the gospel
of Christ. Paul was a watchman. Watchman. The Lord raises up
watchmen. These are God's preachers, those
that God raises up. And they realize something of
the responsibility of two things. Number one, preaching the truth
about a man, and secondly, preaching the truth about who God is in
Christ. That's the heart of what they're
preaching. The gospel, when the gospel is
preached, it tells a man what he is. He's unable. He's a sinner. It tells a man
how God is just and justifies a sinner. by the grace of God. Being a watchman is obviously
a call from the Lord. Men don't call themselves. I
should have turned over to Ezekiel 3. The Scripture says in Ezekiel
3 and verse 17, and my statement was, God calls men to be watchmen. Ezekiel 3, 17, Son of man, I
have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel. The message
that these men preach is not something that's left to their
opinion. He says, therefore, hear the
word at my mouth. That's what he said in that continuing
in that 17th verse. Watchmen are not men that waste
their time in the cares of this world on things that perish. Give them warning from Me. That's
what He said. Tell men who they are. Tell men who I am. Rehearse in
their ears. that their righteousnesses are
as filthy rags. Don't shun to be honest with
men. Boy, you know, you've heard the
saying, the truth hurts. But you know to a man or a woman
that God's called out of darkness, they rejoice in that truth. They
rejoice in that. Sharp, two-edged sword. They
agree with you. They'll agree with God. They'll
take God's Word against themselves. They know that they're but dust.
Ezekiel 3, 18. When I say unto the wicked, thou
shalt surely die. And thou givest him not warning,
nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his
life. The same wicked man shall die
in his iniquity, but his blood will I require At thine hand,
I've said this before, and I will just go ahead and probably before
this message is over, I'll plead a lot of ignorance. But I can
tell you this one thing I do know. If a man is not honest
with men about who God is and about who they are, if a man
is not honest with Him, God didn't call him. because God's preachers
are honest. The Lord calls them and they're
constrained by the Spirit of God to be honest. Men call themselves
and they're not honest. But those that call themselves
and are not honest with men concerning the gospel of free grace, there's
a greater condemnation for those. I'm going to read you that, Lord
willing, at the end of this message. Watchmen that are called by God
realize the seriousness of what they're doing. Now, turn with me to Hebrews,
Hebrews 13. Hebrews 13 and 17. While you're
turning there, There's a seriousness about the proclamation of the
gospel that the joy of the Lord is to hear the truth. It's joyful. I thank God for His truth that
He would give us, as I've said before, a place where you can
come, a haven of rest, or you can say, I believe that's what God says.
You rest in that. Hebrews 13, 17. This is the seriousness
of this thing of preaching. We're going to get to Acts 20,
28 in a minute. Obey them that have the rule
over you, and submit yourselves. For they watch for your souls,
as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy
and not with grief, for that is unprofitable for you." Be
persuaded. Obey them. That's what it means.
Be persuaded. Of those that have the rule that
guides you, guides you in the Scriptures, you know the only
way that you have any confidence whatsoever And what's being preached
is that you believe that this is what the Word of God says.
That's the only confidence that you have. If you have a question
about whether or not I'm being honest with you about it, if
there's a question about it, there's a turmoil in your heart.
And you want to know. A believer wants to know. But
in the light as far as The truth of the gospel of God's grace
is preached. Be persuaded. That's what obey
means. Be persuaded. Be persuaded of
them that have the rule that guide you. That doesn't lord
over you. God's preachers don't lord over
God's people. They're compassionate and they're
kind. But they do rule. They do rule. in the Scriptures. As they that must give account. It means to give up or give back. Give account. That's what it
means. Give up or give back. As they that do it with joy and
not with grief, for that's unprofitable. They watch for your souls. As,
I looked at, now that word as jumped out at me. They watch
for your souls as they, it means even as or like. Here's the situation as it is
this evening. How serious is what I'm doing right now?
How serious is it? I'll tell you how serious it
is. It is like I must give account to God. I'm going to give an account
to God. That's what the word as means. Obey them that have
the rule over you and submit yourselves, for they watch for
your souls just like they're going to give account to God. There is an account that's going
to be given. What I preach and what you hear.
What I preach, what I hear. I'm going to talk about this
account in just a minute. The office, the calling of a
pastor. What is a pastor? I'll tell you
this, the first thing he does is he's called to preach the
Word. Peter, do you love me? You feed
My sheep." And also, to govern them by faithful leadership according
to the Scriptures. God's preachers are held truly
to a higher standard. I know they are. I know they
are. Are they not in your eyes? They are in mine. I look at God's preachers to
a higher standard. I do. Someone says, well, you
shouldn't do that. Yeah, we do. You expect more
from them, don't you? I do. They're called to a high
calling. And I know they're men. I know
they are. And I know they're frail. And
I know they are but dust. But I'm telling you, Almighty
God has called these men faithfulness. The respect and confidence of
the flock to the pastor is in direct proportion to his adherence
to the Word of God. They listen. They listen. They
listen to what's being preached. God has placed pastors in a vital
position And that is a position of trust. Brother Scott, we're held to
a position of trust. This message, this Gospel, this
blessed message, it's in an earthen vessel. I know that. And that's the thing that makes
it so serious. and preached to, of which the
pastor is one of them, the body of Christ, of whom he gave himself,
everlastingly loved her. Someone told Brother Scott one
time, he said, well, I'll tell you what, I don't see about,
I don't ever read in the Bible where Jesus ever had a bride.
Brother Scott said, I beg your pardon, why don't you read Song
of Solomon? Yeah, he's got a bride. He's
married. He loved this bride. And here
is a preacher that is called and commissioned and given the
responsibility to search the message of Almighty God and to
comfort the people of God. Comfort them. Don't whip them. Don't browbeat them. Comfort
them. These that the Scripture says
must give account. Now, you talk about some deep
waters, and anybody that says that they've got a perfect handle
on this Scripture right here, well, I'd like to hear what you've
got to say. I really would, because I'm telling
you, you talk about some deep waters. I know this. Right now in this
life, let me tell you some things that I know about giving account
to the Lord, to God's church, concerning God's church. Number
one, pastors give account now to the Lord with a communion
with Him through prayer. I've woken up many times early
in the morning, I've been sitting here During the day I've been
out and I think about this congregation right here over which the Lord's
made me to be an under shepherd with this faithful under shepherd
and praying for them. Lord, thank you. Thank you for
this church. Thank you for this lighthouse
of hope. Thank you for this candlestick of love and grace. Thank you.
Thank you. Giving an account to the Lord
to the Lord, giving an account to the Lord for you, even right
now. These pastors spread before the
Lord the state and the needs of the body and seeking guidance
by His grace and mercy, giving account, giving account, Lord
help us. Brother Scott was reading just
a moment ago and I was sitting there thinking, Asking. Lord
help me. Help me out. I've told you before
I've got a set of notes. But if God doesn't bless this
message, I got a set of notes here to kind of help me keep
my mind on track where I am. But if God doesn't bless the
message to your heart, I've said before, it's just words. And I know this. And may the
Lord grant me the grace to speak reverently here in the day of
judgment. All that glorifies God's grace
in the salvation of His elect or all that's attributed to God's
justice and wrath to the unbeliever is going to be heard now and then. The joy of God's
preachers. Paul said in that 17th verse
of Hebrews 13, 17, Obey them that have the rule over you and
submit yourselves for they watch for your souls as or even as
or like they that must give account. I thought on that and asked,
prayed about that passage of Scripture. How is it that a man
that's called to preach the gospel, how is it that a man will give
account? I know even now, and I'm sure
then in that day, the joy of God's preachers will be reflected
in the words of the Apostle Paul when he says, I mean John, 3
John 1, 4, I have no greater joy than to hear that my children
walk in truth. There's an account. There's an
account. They had no greater joy than
to hear. Greatest joy in this life for
a preacher that God's called is to see God's people walking
in truth, rejoicing in it, fellowshipping in it. What greater joy is there
for an overseer to behold faithfulness that God has given in the sheep. In that great day, in that day of the complete opening
declaration of the salvation of God's elect, how beautifully
will the redeemed know the witness of the word of Paul to 1 Thessalonians. that says, What is our hope or
joy or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence
of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For ye are our glory
and our joy. That's what Paul said. There's
an account. What account will God's people
give? Remember, he says they must watch
for your souls and give account that they may do it with joy. What joy! How much? I don't know how much. I don't
even know how to say it. But to be able to be in that
day and to have a mind that is not anymore burdened with the
presence of sin, Carl, and then to say, thank You. Thank You. Lord, thank You that
You You've got us here. Thank you. You brought us here.
Thank you. Thank you for your grace. Thank you. What joy! What hope! What is
our crown of rejoicing? But you know, also, He says that
they may do it, giving that account. Not that the preacher's account
is going to add anything to the glory of God. I'm telling you
all glory Praise and honor is due Him. What praise is going
to be added when God's preachers, thankful
by the mercy and grace of God, that any of us were there? What
are we going to add to His glory? None. None. But Paul says we'll do it with
joy. But also it says here that they
may do it with joy and not with grief. That's unprofitable. I know even now, as there's joy now and joy then,
there's grief now and grief then. I'm sure. The Apostle Paul speaks
of an account of grief. As I know that there's nothing
going to add to the glory of Almighty God, there's nothing
that any man is going to say that's going to add to the condemnation. Men are going to be condemned
because of unbelief. That's the bottom line. Why? Because they would not receive
the love of the truth. You will not come. But for those that believe not,
the report of Christ, and I mean especially those that heard it. Here's the sadness of this truth,
especially those that heard the truth. For those whose lives
were so busy, and the love for the cares of this world proved
that they truly didn't love the Lord Jesus Christ, Obviously, there's a sense in
which faithful pastors shall give account with grief. They watch for your souls as
they that must give account that they may do it with joy and not
with grief. This is unprofitable for you.
In what sense will a man give an account with
grief? I entered in in my clouded, looking-through-a-glass-darkly mind, and I can quote Scripture
and I can tell you what Paul the Apostle said concerning the
joy, the joy of being in the presence of the Lord Jesus at
His coming. I can read that and I can rest
in that and I know that's so. I know that's so. I can tell
you something of the joy at the coming of His presence But what
about the grief, the account of grief? Turn to Mark chapter
6, verse 11. Mark 6, 11. Here are these words of our Lord. Mark 6, 11. And whosoever shall
not receive you, nor hear you, When you depart then shake off
the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily
I say unto you it should be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah
in the day of judgment than for that city." It is a grief now, obviously, whenever men or women hear and
they will not receive. They won't receive it and they
won't hear it. I know that it's so. I know the Scripture. We've thought about that parable
about the sower and the seed. Some of them fell by the wayside.
It talks about the birds that came and taking it. He said,
which is Satan that comes and just snatches, just takes it
away. They wouldn't hear it and wouldn't receive it. But I do
know this. It's a grief now when these faithful pastors observe
a spirit of laxness and complacency in men. And you know, it's obvious. You see it. It's not a joy. It's a grief. It's a grief. Turn over to 1 Corinthians 6.
I mean, it's a grief now. 1 Corinthians chapter 6. Verse 2 and 3. Do you not know
that the saints shall judge the world? And if the world shall
be judged by you, are you not unworthy? Are you unworthy, I'm
sorry, to judge the smallest matters? Know you not that we
shall judge angels? How much more than things that
pertain to this life. In what sense are we going to
give an account, have a judgment? God's preachers are stewards
of the Word and they're called to faithfulness. I'm going to
answer this question I just asked you in a minute. To what degree
and what sense? Look at 1 Corinthians 4. 1 Corinthians
4, 1-4. Let a man so account of us as
of the ministers of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of
God. Moreover, it is required in stewards that a man be found
faithful. But with me, it is a very small
thing that I should be judged of you or of man's judgments.
Yea, I judge not mine own self, for I know nothing by myself,
yet am I not hereby justified in he that judges me as the Lord."
Paul says faithfulness Faithfulness, faithfulness is the standard
of God's preachers. So when the apostles said back
in Hebrews 13, 17, they must give account. In what way is
an account going to be rendered? Well, I can tell you this. I
know for a fact, I just read it, that the dust itself that
would cling to the shoes of a faithful preacher when he would not be
heard. The Lord said, you shake the
dust off of your feet. That dust will rise up in testimony
in the day of judgment. That dust will. The very dust
that clung to the feet, the shoes of a faithful preacher. How much
more? the gospel that was preached. If we will not hear the gospel
of free grace, how is it that God's preachers will give an
account? I'll tell you how the account
will be given. The word that they preached will
rise up. Not that I have to say anything.
What have I got to say? Everything is being said, being
said right now. But I'll tell you, in the day
of judgment, with grief, will those that, especially those
that heard the gospel, the Lord told Capernaum and Chorazin,
He said, if the mighty works done here. What mighty works? The preaching of the gospel.
You say, well, there were some miracles. He never did anything
except preached himself. Even in the miracles that he
preached, that he performed, he was preaching himself. He'd
heal a blind man. What do you say? Men are spiritually
blind. He'd heal a lame man. He'd say,
men are spiritually lame. He'd cause a dumb man to speak. He'd say, you can't speak anything
honorable. Give him hearing. He said, you
can't hear God unless I give you ears. He preached himself.
But for those that heard and refused it, he said, it will
be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than it will be for
you because you refused it. God's preachers are going to
give account. How is that so? With joy or grief. Not they themselves
are going to stand in judgment or for exhortation. The message
they preached. All right. In closing, in closing,
turn to Acts 20, 28. This is our scripture tonight. I said all that to bring us to
this one scripture, Acts 20, 28. Take heed therefore unto
yourselves and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost
hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath
purchased with his own blood. when you realize and think about
and consider the seriousness of to preach and to hear, then
all of a sudden, this Scripture right here takes on new life.
Take heed. Take heed. You pastors, pay attention
to your attitude is what he's saying. 1 Corinthians 9.27. Turn
over there. 1 Corinthians 9.27. Talking to preachers, take heed.
Take heed to yourselves and to the flock. 1 Corinthians 9, verse
27, Paul says, I keep unto my body and bring it into subjection,
lest that by any means when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway. What confidence do I have that
I will endure to the end? What confidence do I have? Here
it is, by the grace of God. By the grace of God. Take heed
to yourselves. Take God's people. Here's a two-fold
truth that you can't compromise on. Paul says, I know whom I
have believed. And I'm persuaded that He's able
to keep that which I've committed unto Him against that day. The
same One that said that said this, I keep my body under subjection,
lest that after I've preached to others that I would find myself
be a castaway. Take heed. Take heed to yourself
and to all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseers. It's the responsibility of God's
preachers to preach the Word, to pastor, to lead, to direct,
to pray for, to intercede for, to seek the good for. They watch
for your souls. It matters. It matters. It matters
how you are. It matters how this flock is. It matters. Why? It's the flock. It's the church
of God. It's God's people. But it's the
responsibility of God's people to know and to obey and follow
the ministers that labor among them. A grave responsibility
for God's preachers. But oh, the grave responsibility. Take heed. Take heed. Paul says in 1 Thessalonians
5, 12, and 13, We beseech you, brethren, to know them which
labor among you and are over you in the Lord, and admonish
you, and to esteem them very highly. in love for their work's
sake, and be at peace among yourselves." God's preachers are to be recognized
for what they are, laborers, laborers for Christ, in Christ,
overseers, those that have the watch and the care for feeding
the flock of God, knowledge, understanding concerning the
Lord Jesus Christ. And who is it that verse Acts
20, 28, that we're overseers to? Those that He has purchased
with His own blood. You know, the seriousness of
what we're considering this evening. Those that Christ laid down His
life for. Isn't it amazing how easily we
speak of that? and how lightly we esteem it,
how lightly we consider it. This church belongs to the Lord
Jesus Christ, chosen to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit, purchased with His own blood. Titus 2.14 says, "...who
gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity
and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."
Take heed. I want you to turn to James Chapter
3. This is the last verse. James 3.1. James Chapter 3. Verse 1. Speaking of pastors. My brethren, James 3.1. Be not many masters, knowing
that we shall receive the greater condemnation of that word there
is judgment. I want to read something to you.
This is out of Brother Henry Mahanz, a man that we all know
and love and respect, faithful preacher of the gospel. His comments
on this particular verse of scripture talking about preachers. He says
concerning James 3.1, almost all writers agree that the word
masters is actually teachers. My brethren, Paul says, do not
rush eagerly toward and aspire to be teachers of the scriptures. Take not this office presumptuously
unto yourselves, unqualified, untaught, Uncalled teachers and
preachers, he said, are partly responsible for the corrupt practice
in churches today. He said, we do not want to discourage
men from the office of a teacher, but we must urge restraint and
avoid ordaining novices. We must pray that God will call
and make known to us who should preach and teach his word. Teaching the Word requires not
only a fluent tongue, a knowledge of the Scriptures, and a sincere
heart, but also the anointing of the Lord. The seriousness
of what we do, I encourage you and ask you, pray for me. Pray for me. Pray that God bless
the messages before we come together Ask the Lord's blessing. Lord,
would you speak to me tonight? Speak to me today. Help me. Pray
for the preacher today. This Sunday, Lord willing, our
pastor will preach for us. But it's got to bring the message.
I've got to go out of town tomorrow, and I'll be in the western part
of Mississippi preaching there Friday night, Saturday night,
Sunday morning. I pray the Lord bless the Word, but do you know
where my heart will be? Right here. I look at my watch
every time I'm gone. I say, well, ten o'clock. I guess
it's about time, don't I? It's about time there. I look
about ten-fifteen, ten-twenty. I say, well, Brother Scott's
getting up about now. And my heart's right here, right
here with you. Pray that God be pleased to bless
His Word. in all those places where He's
raised up a flock and sent a faithful pastor.