52b) Disposition of Biblical Oversight, #2 (2/17/97)

In this part of the sermon: Paul's ministry among the Ephesians (Acts 20:19) is presented as an example of lowliness of mind, a virtue despised by the world but cardinal among God's people. Martin reflects…

Paul's ministry in Ephesus, serving with 'all lowliness of mind,' is presented as a concrete example of a true under-shepherd's disposition, contrasting with the world's view of lowliness.

Shepherding people who will manifest elements of residual sinfulness that will manifest, need particular heightened expressions of these graces of lowliness, meekness, and gentleness. And let's look at several passages where we see this exemplified in the Apostle Acts 20 and verse 19. It's always fascinated me that the first thing Paul says in reviewing his ministry among the Ephesians focuses on this aspect of the disposition of a true under-shepherd. You yourselves know from the first day that I set foot in Asia after what manner I was with you all the time serving the Lord with all lowlines...

8:56 - 10:09 Read in full sermon

The point: Cry to God that this disposition of meekness with its attendance of loneliness and gentleness be continually enriched and brought in us by the enablement of the Spirit of God.

The story of Moses striking the rock in anger (Numbers 20) is used as a cautionary tale of even a meek man failing in this crucial area, leading to severe consequences.

Every time the people of God get into trouble they blame Moses. Blame him for everything. And remember it was in this very area that Moses fell toward the end of his life. And I never understood that until I got to be an old man or a much older man.

12:55 - 13:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Lift up your heart to God saying Lord baptize my spirit with meekness with gentleness and loneliness of heart.

The analogy of 'rock striking' is used to describe the human tendency to give up on difficult people, contrasted with God's unending patience, meekness, and gentleness in Christ.

And there will be times as I indicated when you will actually sit there in a situation where you will be lifting up your heart to God saying Lord baptize my spirit with meekness with gentleness and loneliness of heart. Without it I'm going to be rock striking. I'm going to say I've had it enough is enough in any language as my mother used to say. But when did God say to you enough is enough?

14:15 - 14:42 Read in full sermon

Driving home: this moving with compassion is not a surface emotion it is not an undisturbing emotion it is something that shakes and disturbs and brings into tumult the whole inner being.

The metaphor of Jesus' eyes being an 'inlet to his soul' when beholding the multitudes illustrates His deep, internal processing of their condition, leading to compassion.

It has so much that is untranslatable but this moving with compassion is not a surface emotion it is not an undisturbing emotion it is something that shakes and disturbs and brings into tumult the whole inner being. He was moved with compassion and there was a vulnerability our Lord was willing to look at the multitudes and not only look at them to see them to register by means of the of the visual capacity that there's a bunch of people out there but to truly see their condition because he goes on to say because they were distressed and scattered as sheep not having a shepherd that wasn't the...

16:05 - 16:54 Read in full sermon

Driving home: this moving with compassion is not a surface emotion it is not an undisturbing emotion it is something that shakes and disturbs and brings into tumult the whole inner being.

The analogy of someone scattering sheep with an Uzi is used to highlight that the multitudes' distress was spiritual, not merely external, emphasizing Christ's discernment of their true condition.

It wasn't as though someone was going around scattering them with an Uzi no. Outwardly they seemed to be fairly well off but he saw their true condition under the tyrannizing teaching of the scribes and the Pharisees and as he sees them in that true condition distressed and scattered as sheep not having a shepherd you see the shepherding motif comes into this vulnerable compassion of our Lord Jesus. In Mark 1 in verse 41 here in the presence of very stark physical need in the person of this leper there came to him a leper beseeching him and kneeling down to him and saying if you will you can m...

16:55 - 18:24 Read in full sermon

The point: Maintain the vulnerability and without it there will be no experiential awareness felt compassion toward those to whom we minister.

The natural human tendency to 'close our hearts' and 'put up a protective wall' against those who hurt us is contrasted with Paul's 'enlarged heart' toward the Corinthians, illustrating vulnerable compassion.

to so take to heart the reality of the spiritual condition amongst the lost and amongst the people of God as well that his inner being felt the impression and opened up his tear ducts not in the forced not in the forced mindset of the consummate actor but in the tender sensitivity of a true shepherd of souls and then in one of the most most moving expressions of this vulnerable compassion 2nd Corinthians chapter 6 in the midst of seeking to deal with the manifold problems in the church at Corinth the attacks upon his own person the realization that these false teachers had been so effective th...

19:52 - 21:20 Read in full sermon

Driving home: what a contradiction to preach a message of a good shepherd who lays down his life out of the mouth of one who has something less than the disposition of self giving love who is self sparing and self serving and self see…

The contrast between a hireling who views sheep as a 'commodity' for livelihood and a true shepherd who is 'bound to them in a disposition of self giving love' illustrates the essence of self-giving love.

because of them and when we are vulnerable enough to weep with those who weep we are vulnerable to have those very people cause us to weep as they would turn against us as they would disappoint us as they would grieve us as we seek to shepherd them but then finally for today there must be a disposition of self giving love and here the scriptural materials are so profuse that I just wondered what ones I could select and which ones to pass over but I've listed for you some of the major texts that point again to our Lord Jesus and his disposition of self giving love John 10 I've chosen that becau...

24:16 - 25:46 Read in full sermon

Driving home: my self giving love is not determined by whether or not it's reciprocated most gladly will I spend and be spent out for your sake if I love you more abundantly am I loved the less so be it

Paul's willingness to 'most gladly spend and be spent' for the Corinthians, even if his love is not reciprocated, illustrates that self-giving love is not conditional on the response received.

had become dear to him and he says we were well pleased not only to deliver the message but our very souls our very life this disposition of self giving love and one of the most moving expressions of it the next text that I've listed the second Corinthians passage what do you do when you continue to love and there is no love in return what Paul tells us what he did verse 14 of second Corinthians 12 this is the third time I'm ready to come to you in the light of his previous treatment in the light of what he's received of news of how they regard him and how they've treated him many of them sure...

28:44 - 30:14 Read in full sermon

The point: Make one of your baseline non-negotiable elements of devotional reading somewhere in the Gospels that I might have my eyes fixed upon my Savior.

Martin shares his personal practice of making Gospel reading a 'baseline non-negotiable' in his devotional life, illustrating how contemplating Christ's person leads to internal transformation by the Spirit.

of self-giving love and how does the spirit of God impart that to us well in answer to prayer yes but the particularly in the light of 2nd Corinthians 3 and verse 18 the spirit of God works these things in us as we contemplate in loving reflection and in biblically framed meditation the very person of our Lord himself 2nd Corinthians 3 18 but we all with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord are transformed beholding we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory even as from the Lord the spirit in my latter years I have found myself more and more inclined wh...

34:41 - 36:10 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when the people see that you unfeignedly love them they will hear anything and bear anything from you

A lengthy quote from John Owen emphasizes that compassionate suffering with church members is essential for pastors to represent Christ and is the 'principal spring of consolation' for the church.

with which to close our lecture this morning when we think of the matter of vulnerable compassion listen to Owen's statement again volume 16 page 87 he's listing the things that ought to mark a true shepherd of God's people and number seven is this a compassionate suffering with all the members of the church in all their trials and troubles whether internal or external belongs unto them in the discharge of their office nor is there anything that renders them more like unto Jesus Christ whom to represent unto the church is their principal duty that momentous statement what is your principal dut...

37:39 - 39:08 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when the people see that you unfeignedly love them they will hear anything and bear anything from you

A lengthy quote from Richard Baxter stresses that ministry must be carried on with 'tender love' like a father or mother, willing to sacrifice everything for the people's salvation, as this love makes them receptive to counsel.

offended and I burn not 2nd Corinthians 11 29 and unless this compassion and goodness does run through the discharge of their whole office men cannot be said to be evangelical shepherds nor the sheep said in any sense to be their own for those who pretend unto the pastoral office to live it may be in wealth and pleasure regardless of the sufferings and temptations of their flock or the poor of it or related unto such churches as wherein is impossible that they should so much as be acquainted with the state of the greatest part of them is not answerable unto the institution of their office nor ...

39:08 - 40:38 Read in full sermon

Driving home: when the people see that you unfeignedly love them they will hear anything and bear anything from you

Baxter's analogy that 'we ourselves will take all things well from one we know doth entirely love us' illustrates how perceived love makes people receptive to difficult truths, even a 'blow given in love'.

let them see that you spend and are spent for their sake and all that you do is for them and not for any private ends of your own isn't it true if you're convinced a man loves you it's amazing what you'll take from it but if you have reason to suspect that someone does not love you or has ill will toward you you're ready to pounce on even a word that is spoken with the wrong look in the left eyebrow well our people are that way and one of the joys of a lengthy pastorate is that as by the grace of God you weep with your people you suffer with them you struggle with them over their besetting sin...

42:07 - 43:37 Read in full sermon