Strengthening The Established Churches

The Spiritually Impossible Dichotomy: Jesus Yes, Church No

0:02 The following sermon was delivered on Sunday morning, January 14th, 2001, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey.

0:15 Now I begin this morning exactly as I began last Lord's Day morning, by quoting the statement, Jesus, yes. The Church, no. Jesus, yes. Church, no.

0:35 So read the words printed in bold block letters on the placard of a student gathered with others at some kind of religious meeting in some place some years ago. The last Lord's Day, having begun with those words, I sought to point out, as I do again this morning, that such a sentiment, Jesus, yes, but Church, no,

1:02 sets up a spiritually impossible dichotomy, or it sets forth an antithesis between Jesus and His Church, an antithesis, a dichotomy which can never, never be justified from the Word of God. The reality is that to say yes to Jesus is also to say yes to His Church, for that Church is both His body and His bride, body and bride designated such in the Word of God.

1:43 It is His Church which is the only organism and organization to which Christ has committed Himself and to which the apostles gave their labors. It is His Church which is the only organism and organization to which Christ has committed Himself and to which the apostles gave their labors. Now, it is just this persuasion that has brought us to our present series of studies entitled Living Together in the Father's House. This series of sermons has been and will continue to be a study of various aspects of biblical churchmanship as they are set forth in our church constitution,

2:23 and we will be focusing not so much on the words of our constitution, but on the words of the Bible. this series of sermons has been and will continue to be a study of various aspects of biblical churchmanship as they are set forth in our church constitution, but on the scriptures that undergird those distillations of the biblical teaching on the subject, How should we live together in God's House? Now, we addressed the whole matter of the supreme and all-encompassing purpose of the church. As it is stated in our Constitution Article 2, As it is stated in our Constitution Article 2, the purpose of this church is to glorify, the purpose of this church is to glorify, the purpose of this church is to glorify, the God of the Scriptures. That I say and have said and will continue to say is the supreme and

3:07 the all-encompassing purpose of any church that claims to be subject to the Word of God. However, the Scriptures go on to tell us those activities by which we are to pursue the glory of God. Pursuing the glory of God is not to be a kind of ecclesiastical shibboleth, a sign that we are spiritually minded. God's glory is to be sought in the midst of and by means of activities mandated by Scripture which God has said are the means by which we pursue His glory. And those particular

The Church's Purpose and Activities: A Circular Model

3:49 activities are expressed in our Constitution. Six participial phrases, and rather than just lay them out, one, two, three, four, five, six, I have chosen to organize them using the imagery of a circle and its arrows. And I hope, maybe I'm just being overly optimistic, I would hope that by now the members of this church could, if I had the blackboard up here and I just called on any one of you who've been here for the previous eight sermons, I would hope you'd be able to come up and reproduce the image of God. I'm going to give you with my hands and my mouth. The circle represents the church. There's one

4:29 arrow that starts at the center of the circle and goes upward out of sight. That represents the Godward activity of promoting the worship of our God. We pursue His glory in the promotion of biblical worship. Then there are arrows coming in from all points of the circle, coming inward, touching all within the circle. And those are the activities of mutual edification

5:00 and of mutual practical manifestation of the love of God to one another in the area of benevolence. Then there are the arrows that go outward from the center of the circle. They pierce the circle and go out east and west and south and everything in between. And those are the activities of the evangelizing sinners of the planting or establishing and strengthening of churches. Well, last Lord's

5:31 Day, we took up another of those arrows. We had looked at the arrow of evangelizing sinners and how the scripture says the church is to accomplish that task by life and by lip, by what it is and by what it says. But then there is also this responsibility of the church to accomplish that task. The responsibility and privilege to pursue the glory of God by the planting or the establishing of churches. And last Lord's Day, in taking up that subject, we began with the identification

6:06 and justification of a foundational assumption. It's assumed in our confession and in our, I'm sorry, in our constitution, and it is assumed in many places of scripture. And that assumption was identified as this. That the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is both central and indispensable in the accomplishment of the saving purposes of God. The church is not peripheral. The church is not optional. The church

6:40 is not dispensable and replaceable. It is central and indispensable in the outworking of the saving purposes of God. Then I sought to take up that assumption not only identified, but justified. And we looked at several key passages in Matthew chapter 16, chapter 18, and then just gave the general statement that as surely as next to aggressive evangelism is taught in the book of Acts, so the establishment of churches was a high priority in the labors of the apostolic band.

7:21 We then proceeded to take up the apostolic pattern analyzed and we went through no fewer then seven specimen passages in the book of Acts, which clearly, and unmistakably, demonstrated that the planting, or the establishing of churches was a conscious goal in the recorded labors of the apostles, and those who labored with them, and under them. We have no record in the book of Acts, that they gave their entity spiritual work with trust and the prayer of Elisha and the church as their goal. energies, to the setting up of structures that were calculated to minister to the young people in a given town, and other structures that were calculated to minister to the singles, and others

8:05 to Jewish believers, and other structures for Gentile believers, and other structures for upper-class believers and lower-class believers, structures for slaves, structures for free men. No, they left behind churches. Churches, that's what the record tells us. And there is no other organism or organization that is left in the trail of apostolic labors that can be identified as something that ought to permanently mark the life of God's new covenant people.

Apostolic Commitment to Strengthening Churches: The Selective Record of Labors

8:46 Now, this morning, we're going to direct our attention to the fact that the apostolic labors were not only focused on the planting, or the establishing of churches, but that with equal zeal and calculated efforts, they were committed to the strengthening of the churches that had been planted. With equal zeal, they were committed with calculated effort to strengthen the churches that had been planted. The evidence of this is found in two massive pile drawers, two large categories of

9:26 biblical testimony, and they are the selective record of apostolic labors, and we'll spend the bulk of our time there, and then secondly, the specific focus of apostolic letters. So, when we look at a selective record of apostolic labors, we will see that in those labors, the strengthening of churches had a place in their priority, and thesecessionaries equal to the planting of churches, and equal to the proclamation of the gospel, which gave birth to churches.

10:06 So, we might look upon apostolic priorities as three equally demanding tasks, . And we're going to look at the selective record of apostolic labors, And then, very briefly, the specific focus of apostolic letters. Now, we come then first to the selective record of apostolic labors, which demonstrates their commitment to strengthen churches. And you say, Pastor, you usually have a purpose for your words.

10:43 Why do you say the selective record of apostolic labors? For the simple reason the book of Acts is not an exhaustive record of apostolic labors. Sometimes large periods of a whole year and a half are passed over with one sentence. And they abode there, 18 months, teaching the word of God.

11:05 Or they abode for a whole year, teaching the word of God. So the book of Acts is a very selective record. Not exhaustive, not extensive in any of its parts. It is a very selective record of apostolic labors.

11:24 And if we believe God the Holy Spirit was guiding Luke, as he pulled together, no doubt, many, many documents, as he did with the writing of the Gospel of Luke, the Spirit of God was guiding him in terms of those things that would be placed in the record. It is a Spirit-directed selectivity. And therefore, the things which the Holy Spirit has chosen, to emphasize, and to address again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, we do well to take heed to what the Spirit is saying to the churches

12:07 within this corpus of the selective record of the apostolic labors. Now, as I said last week, tighten your seatbelt. We're going to put the gas to the floorboard and make a very quick trip through about...

12:24 about ten such passages in the book of Acts.

Strengthening in Jerusalem: Pentecost and Practical Needs (Acts 2, 6)

12:29 This is a selective record of apostolic labors demonstrating their commitment to strengthen churches. All right, let me present the evidence. And as usual, we start in Acts 2. The things that happened on that glorious day when in redemptive history God crossed the threshold never to be recrossed and reversed.

12:52 The day of Pentecost, in many ways, is as unique and unrepeatable as Golgotha, as Easter morning. And though Pentecost is extended into Samaria in Acts 8, extended into Caesarea in Acts 10, extended out to Ephesus in Acts 19, it is nonetheless a watershed day in redemptive history. And most of you know at least the outline of the chapter. The Spirit of God comes, with unusual phenomena in His coming.

13:29 And then these people are speaking in languages, not their native language, the mighty works of God. And attention is awakened, and Peter stands in the midst and begins to preach. And as he preaches, the Spirit of God smites the heart of his hearers, that they have been murderers of Messiah. But God has raised him, vindicated his identity as Lord in Christ.

13:53 And they cry out in the midst of the sermon, what shall we do? Peter puts a spiritual band-aid upon them, says, your case is not desperate. In the way of repentance and faith and open confession of Christ, there is forgiveness of sins and furthermore, the gift of the very Spirit who has been given to us will be yours. And they seem to quiet down, so that verse 40 tells us in Acts 2, with many other words, he testified and exhorted them, saying, save yourselves from this crooked generation, he carried on his sermon with many other words, laid out the implications of identification with Christ and with his people,

14:34 taking one stand to become part of the counter-culture in a wicked generation, laid out the cost of discipleship. So many things from the analogy of Scripture are poured into that statement with many other words. He testified and exhorted, saying, then what happened? They that received his word were baptized, and there were added unto them in that day about three thousand souls.

15:03 Now put yourself in the place of the apostles. You have seen this amazing work of God in which in a few hours more is done to bring people into saving attachment to Christ than in all of Christ's three years of public ministry. What an amazing thing. And to think he did it through one whose lips could still, as it were, feel the vibrations of the words of oaths and maledictions in the court when he denied his Lord.

15:35 Here he is standing boldly. If anyone knew that he was what he was by a power not his own, it was Peter. He's known the thrill of the Spirit of God coming upon him in power and so speaking through him that people that were crying for the blood of his Savior just a few days before, are smitten and broken with conviction. Surely you'd think, man, if God is doing this in this one place in this short time, let's split and go and hope that God will do it here and there and here and there.

16:09 If three thousand in a day, how many possibly in a week? We must give ourselves to preaching Christ in the power of the Spirit. But what did they do? Look at verse 42.

16:23 And they, the three thousand added to the one hundred and twenty, continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching. Now how could they continue steadfastly in the apostles' teaching if the apostles weren't there to teach them? You say, Pastor, you don't need to be a logician to know the answer to that. Impossible. Yes.

16:44 So what does it tell us? It tells us that fresh on the heels of aggressive proclamation of the gospel, owned with tremendous power by the Spirit of God to constitute, this large church overnight, the apostles, plural, were committed to the strengthening of that church. How? Not by conferring the ability to speak in tongues.

17:14 The texts say that. Not by conferring the ability to perform miracles. The text doesn't say that. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching.

17:28 Apostles are able to be confident that these who have repented and turned to Christ in faith and have been openly identified with Him, God has fulfilled the promise. They have received the Holy Spirit without tongues, without wind, and without flames of fire over their heads. And so, believing they have the Spirit of Christ within them, and they want to know the will and the ways of Christ and their privileges in Christ, they are strengthened. How?

18:01 By the apostolic teaching. Unglamorous, demanding of mind, demanding of engagement, even as preaching and teaching you demands it. But that's the way of strengthening church. They continued steadfastly in the apostles' teaching.

18:22 And that teaching then shaped the contours of their life together. So they continued steadfastly not only in the apostles' teaching, but in fellowship. True koinonia. Shared life.

18:38 They got out of the cocoon of me-ism and began to know the exquisite delight of having a life oriented to the service of another. Fellowship. True koinonia. And then recognizing that all their blessings are derived from their crucified risen Lord, they engage in the supper of remembrance and understanding that when all of the dramatic things have passed away and they face the slog of Christian experience, that they need the grace and power of God, so they continue in the prayers.

19:20 And where are the apostles in all of this? Right there in Jerusalem. Some fault them and say God had to bring the persecution of Saul of Tarsus to get them out of there. They'd gotten too comfortable.

19:31 I don't buy that. I don't buy that at all. No indication that the persecution was a rebuke to their spiritual selfishness. They stayed there at this time in waiting upon God for directions when to press up into Samaria, all Judea, the uttermost part of the earth.

19:51 And why are they constrained to stay? Not because it was comfortable, but because they had received from their Lord, a mandate not only to plant churches, but to strengthen the churches planted. And we see it in this specimen passage, Acts chapter 2. And then you read on through the remainder of the chapter and on into chapter 4 and 5, and what do you see?

20:16 You see a strong, healthy, loving, joyful congregation of God's people, made such by apostolic labors to strengthen the church. Now we go over to Acts 6. You know the story as well as I do. From the outset, the Jerusalem church was given to the inward arrow of demonstrating the love of God.

20:39 The end of chapter 2, the end of chapter 4, give us specific accounts of how there was this voluntary relinquishment from time to time of the title to goods and property to make that money available in the hands of the apostles to distribute as people had need. There was a true inward arrow of kindness and love that was to be given to those who were in need, and that was really, really important. And the idea that God's people had made a小心ery an opportunity to make a mobilization of money in the hands of the apostles to give them a lot of Christmas, to give them big gifts, to give them gifts of joy and joy of life, to give them gifts of life, to give them gifts of peace, to give them gifts of everything

21:22 they could possibly need to help the people, to give them a new life. Remember, quite as kosher in terms of their pedigree. And so there's this disruption, and some feel that they're being neglected, that there is a prejudicial disposition and distribution of the goods. And word of this comes to the ears of the apostles, and we read, verse 2, And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not fit that we should forsake the word of God and serve tables. Now you know the rest of the

21:56 story. They proposed then that seven godly men, men of wisdom, men full of the Spirit, would be set apart to do this work of a more hands-on, clearly righteous distribution to the widows, no matter what their pedigree was. If they were part of the church, there was to be an impartial distribution according as each had need. And they say, We, in the light of this, will not feel that we are neglecting the what? The nurture and the well-being and the

22:32 health of the church. We'll put a cap on this potentially divisive murmuring. We'll put a cap on any wrong representation of Christ, that he prefers those whose pedigree is more pure than others. And we will avoid any indication that our God is a God of disorder. We will

22:53 appoint men to have a closer hands-on, more equitable, organized distribution of the widows' benevolence. That's what the passage is all about. But what is the goal in all of this? After they select such people, they lay their hands upon them and pray. Look at verse 7. And the word of God increased, and

23:17 the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. The Bible says, and the word of God increased, and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly. And the great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. The Bible says, and the word of God increased, Luke adds this stroke to show that with this issue having been addressed, there is a new measure of spiritual power resting upon the church, manifested in this multiplication of disciples and some of the most unlikely converts, even priests from Jerusalem, become obedient to the faith.

23:51 And that statement of the advancement of the gospel evangelistically and in conversion work follows upon and is in a real sense a capstone of this endeavor at the most practical level by the apostles to strengthen this crack that had come in the life and testimony of the church. And here they set a precedent which many of us believe was the seedbed out of which...

24:21 ...which the office of deacon eventually grew into a recognizable, definable, New Testament church office by the time we get to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and Philippians 1 and verse 1.

24:36 So we see the perspective that followed Pentecost, we must strengthen the church, is now carried over into a very practical, organizational, administrative element. ...

24:52 ...of the life and ministry of the apostles.

Peter's Ministry of Strengthening Throughout Judea (Acts 9)

24:55 Now we come to chapter 9. Remember now, all we're doing is unpacking a specimen of the selective record, not exhaustive, just specimen, to demonstrate that strengthening the churches is an apostolic priority that cannot be overlooked. Acts chapter 9, verses 31 to 33. In Acts 9, 1 to 30.

25:23 You have the count of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. And with that conversion, there was a cessation of the concentrated persecution carried on by Saul. As a result, look at verse 31. So, in this way, because the great protagonist of this opposition and persecution has now become the church's greatest friend and ally, so the church, throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, had peace.

25:54 Being edified, built up, and walking in the fear of God, of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied. There's a generic statement. With the ending of this concentrated persecution, not all persecution, not all opposition, but this concentrated persecution that flowed out from this one described as like a dragon in mythical tales, breathing out, threatening and slaughters, the fire and smoke coming out of his nostrils. God changes that dragon into a lamb who bleats.

26:32 Jesus, Jesus, Jesus. No longer the dragon, out to consume him. And so the church, throughout all that area, has peace, and is built up, walks in the fear of the Lord, the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and they increase. Their evangelistic endeavors are blessed.

26:48 But what means did God use? Apart from...

26:52 From the cessation in his providential working, in the conversion of Saul. Did he use any other means to edify the churches? To enable them to walk in the fear of the Lord, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit, and increase in evangelistic usefulness? Yes.

27:09 Look at verse 32. And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down also to the saints that dwelt at Lydda. Here's what our friend, Pastor Seton, calls a little throwaway.

27:28 Peter was one of the instruments, we don't know that he was the only one, but the Spirit of God has selectively put the spotlight on Peter. And what is Peter doing at this part? He is going throughout all parts. Well, was he evangelizing?

27:46 Well, no doubt he was. But did he have any other endeavors that he was engaged in? Yes, for we are told he came down also to the saints that dwelt, at Lydda. And then there is an account of what happened there, and then at Joppa.

28:01 And then you read in verse 43, And it came to pass that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon the Tanner. What is Peter doing out here among these churches? That a short time before, had to meet, as it were, trembling behind closed doors, because Saul of Tarsus was breathing out threatenings and slaughters. Peter is engaged in strengthening the church.

28:26 The churches do not as yet have elders. They do not have resident pastors. And so Peter, as one of the universal elders of the church at Jerusalem, comes down and goes throughout all parts. Doing what?

28:40 Engaged in the strengthening of churches. And when he pillowed his head at night, he had no accusations of conscience. Peter, there are all kinds of souls out there beyond where the church is established that are lost, and on the way. Peter, there are all kinds of souls out there beyond where the church is established that are lost, hell. What are you doing spending time with the believers? No, Peter could pillow his

29:00 head knowing he was doing what his Lord had commissioned him to do. When you are turned again, feed my sheep. Tend my sheep. Feed my lambs. That was Peter's commission. That

29:16 was Peter's action. Now we turn to Acts 11. Acts 11. What do we see again? The apostolic

Barnabas and Saul's Teaching Ministry in Antioch (Acts 11, 13)

29:26 priority of strengthening churches. We saw last week the evidence that a church had been planted at Antioch, and now the same passage, beginning in verse 19, underscores the calculated, determined effort on the part of the Jerusalem church, and then that church itself in its leadership, to strengthen that church. Verse 19, they therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen, traveled as far as Philemon, and they were as far as Philemon, and they were as far as Philemon, and they were as far as Philemon, and they were as far as Ananias, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to none save only to Jews, but there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who when they were come to Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus. So here is aggressive evangelism

30:11 penetrating even among the Gentiles. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number that believed turned unto the Lord. The Spirit's blessing on the evangelistic endeavor results in conversion, and the report concerning them came. to the ears of the church that was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas as far as Antioch.

30:34 Why did they send Barnabas? These people don't need evangelizing. He's a leading light, according to the end of chapter 4 of Acts. He's a leading man in the church of Jerusalem, not an apostle, uppercase A. He's an apostle, a sent one, lowercase A. He is called that

30:49 several times in the book of Acts. Here this man is sent unto them, and what does he do? Verse 23, who when he was come and had seen the grace of God was glad, and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord. For he was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and the faith, and much people was added to the Lord. He

31:10 ministers to the saints, encouraging them to continue to cleave to Christ in the perseverance of an enlightened spirit-wrought faith. And as the church grows under Barnabas' ministry, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelists, the evangelistic impact of the church also grows. Much people was added to the Lord. So what does Barnabas do? And he went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul. And when he had

31:37 found him, brought him to Antioch, and it came to pass that even for a whole year they were gathered together with the church and taught much people, and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. What does the Holy Spirit follow? He does not focus upon. He does not focus upon their evangelistic outreach. No doubt

32:01 there were sessions in the synagogue where possible. No doubt there were evangelistic forays into that region, if we can read into this what we know of Paul and his associates elsewhere. But in this selective account, the Holy Ghost has taken this floodlight, no, this concentrated spotlight. There's a difference between a floodlight and a spotlight.

32:24 Floodlight, floodlight, spotlight. And the Spirit of God has put the spotlight on what ministry? The ministry of strengthening the church. Apparently, Barnabas had taken the church as far as he felt his gifts and knowledge and experience could take them, or maybe the church had grown to where it was not so much a consciousness of inadequacy of gifts and knowledge and understanding, but inadequacy of hours in the day and strength and energy.

32:53 For whatever reason, he finds himself in a place where he can find himself in a place where he can find himself in a place where he can find himself in a place where he can find hishuhsdr realization, and perhaps that's sacraments to think about is that when Jesus of Nazareth takes that slogan, you know, for what reason? You can take it as it is. I'm going to ask you, Peter, to get over this fight, take the first part of it and start by saying it will be easy for us to understand the Bible, and it will provide for this conversation. We know the.

33:27 Norman, go ahead. lots of stories, and lots of ditties. No, my friends, never, never, never.

33:37 He said, if you're the real thing, you want to be taught, and we're prepared to labor to teach. And that's exactly what they did. Strengthened, not by entertainment, not by being mobilized into a hyperactive religious cult, but by knowing the mind of their God, by knowing their riches in Christ, by knowing the implications of their attachment to Christ.

34:10 By the time we come to Acts 13, a church is strong and mature enough to release these very two men who were experienced as yoke men in the work of the gospel, and separates them. Now, Paul, I don't like it when people say the church should give up its best resident pastors, and they try to use Acts 13. That's a twisting of the scripture. Paul knew from the day of his conversion he'd never be a resident pastor.

34:38 You read the account of his conversion in Acts 9, and the two other accounts in Acts, I think it's 22, and I know it's 26. And at his conversion, God said through Ananias, that humble believer who came in to baptize him, I've revealed myself to him, he will bear my name to the Gentiles. Paul was never a resident pastor. He was a missionary in preparation.

35:00 And when God saw, and preparation was complete, now he said it's time to send him on his ministry, and Barnabas was never a resident pastor. He was a leading man in Jerusalem, he's sent up to Antioch, and then he's found in that church, and he is sent forth with the apostle. So don't use this passage to say the most useful, settled, gifted resident pastors ought to go to the mission field. It's a twisting of the passage.

35:28 But nonetheless, nonetheless, that church has grown in such strength, that by the time we come to Acts 13, it has a plethora of gifted men, prophets, and teachers, and the Spirit of God separates them, and they are sent forth. By what? A church that was strong. Strong in its understanding of its identity.

35:49 Strong in the understanding of its function. Strong in its understanding of God's purposes to call out of the Gentiles a people for his name. Where'd they get that strength? Where'd they get the spiritual climate that the leaders of the church had?

36:02 The leaders are found ministering to the Lord and fasting, getting their directions not from the local seminar on church growth, but in the presence of Christ, the head of the church. They became such a strong church because two men of God buried themselves for an extensive period of time in that church, teaching them the word of God. Now that may not get you excited, but I'm ready to get a heart attack over something. Please turn this cassette over to continue.

36:33 Continue the message. God buried themselves for an extensive period of time in that church, teaching them the word of God. Now that may not get you excited, but I'm ready to get a heart attack over something like that.

Paul and Barnabas's Deliberate Strengthening Tour (Acts 14)

36:49 That's where it's at, dear people. That's where it's at. Well, Acts 14.

36:56 May not get to all ten passages.

36:59 Remember, these are just a specimen account.

37:03 Or specimen passages from a selective account. Acts 14. And this is probably, if you were to say what 1 Corinthians 13 is to Christian love, what Ephesians 5 is to Christian marriage, and what Ephesians 6 is to spiritual warfare, this passage is to the commitment of the apostles to the strengthening of churches. Note now Acts 14.

37:32 We have the record in Acts 13 and 14 of the missionary labors of Paul and Barnabas. They started, they went out and had John marked, but he finked out rather early in the whole process. So by the time you come to the middle of Acts 13, he's split and gone home. And we read that at verse 13.

37:54 Now Paul and his company set sail from Paphos, came to Perga. John departed from them, returned to Jerusalem. So here's the record of their labor in preaching and establishing churches in Antioch of Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, coming eventually to Derbe. Now we read in verse 23.

38:12 That's the context. I'm sorry, verse 21. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, the city of Derbe, and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, the very place he had been stoned, and to Iconium and to Antioch. They go back in reverse order.

38:31 They had come through Antioch, they had come through Iconium, Lystra, Derbe. Now they go back. Doing what? What is the focus of their going back into a very dangerous situation?

38:43 What are they doing? Look at the text. Verse 22. Confirming.

38:49 Literally strengthening the souls of the disciples. The focus of their activity at this time was not making more disciples. That had been the focus in their initial foray into these towns and cities. Now their focus was strengthening the souls of the disciples.

39:12 And how did they strengthen them? You talk about a downer. Exhorting them to continue in the faith. They gave them lots of sermons on perseverance.

39:23 You've come to faith. You know the joy of faith as it lays hold of Christ and the full salvation in Him. You've seen some of the liabilities of faith. You're the guys gathered around me when the stones were being rained down on my head and I was left for dead.

39:39 You're the guys that prayed me to life again.

39:42 You may face the same. It's essential that you persevere. He that endures to the end shall be saved. They strengthened the souls of the disciples.

39:52 How? By exhorting them to continue in the faith. Now look at downer number two. That through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

40:01 They emphasize the realism of what it is to be part of the counterculture. And it will be through many tribulations the little particle of necessity day. Delta, epsilon, yalta. Day.

40:15 We must of necessity through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God. And how else did they strengthen the churches? Not only exhorting them to continue in the faith, apprising them that through many tribulations they must enter and when they had appointed for them elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they guided them into the recognition of scripturally qualified men to be their permanent shepherds who will continue to minister in Christ's name and in the strength of Christ by the word of Christ that they might be built up in Christ. And then the fourth thing they do is they commend them to the Lord

40:59 on whom they had believed. They told them we are leaving. We may not see you again, but our evangelistic preaching was the instrument to bring you into attachment to Christ. They said, we have now laid out very clearly that you must maintain that attachment in persevering faith.

41:18 We have apprised you that you're not going to be everybody's hail fellow well-met. Through many tribulations you'll enter the kingdom. And we know that the true and heavenly shepherd has appointed under-shepherds to guide his sheep. So they instructed them and guided them in the recognition of resident pastors, resident elders.

41:40 And then as their hearts begin to quake at the thought, you are the men, Paul and Barnabas, from whom we have learned of Christ, through whom we've been brought to Christ, by whose ministry we've been established in Christ. What will we do now? He says, the Christ who brought you in and has caused you to grow and has brought you into in this life of shared life in Christ and with one another. His grace will keep you.

42:06 They commended them to the Lord. That was their ministry. That was their ministry of strength, didn't the church. They didn't hold seminars with all kinds of clever ways to do this and do that and organize them into a political bloc to oppose and to picket the local town hall that was encouraging certain pagan...

42:27 No, they didn't. None of that, my dear friends. None of that.

The Technical Term 'Episterizo' and Further Examples (Acts 15, 18, 16)

42:33 They strengthened the church by the means appointed by the living God. And it's very interesting that this word translated in verse 22, strengthening, it's only used three other times in the whole of the New Testament.

42:48 And you know where it's used? To describe the same activity in the book of Acts. Strengthening the churches. It would appear that this word, episterizo, had become almost a technical term for this kind of apostolic labor.

43:06 Notice how it's used in Acts 15, verses 30 to 35.

43:11 The elders and the representatives who were there at Jerusalem sorting out this problem, of do Gentiles need to become kosher Jews to be saved? Do they need to get circumcised and keep the ritual laws of Moses? They sorted that out, wrote out the decision, sent chosen men to go among the churches to make this issue clear. Verse 30, So when they were dismissed and came down to Antioch, having gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle.

43:38 And when they had read it, they rejoiced for consolation. And Judas and Silas, being themselves prophets, exhorted the brethren, with many words, and, here's our word, and confirmed them, and strengthened them. And after they had spent some time there, they were dismissed in peace from the brethren unto those that had sent them forth. What did they do?

44:04 They stayed there to strengthen the brethren. It's used again in the next paragraph. And after some days, Paul said to Barnabas, let's return now and visit the brethren in every city where we've been. We proclaim the word of the Lord and see how they fare.

44:19 Barnabas wanted to take John, his little nephew, and Paul said, no, he thinked out, he caved in, he quit, he turned tail under pressure, let him sit around a while more and prove himself before I'm going to go out and have him as my buddy. I want to know who's at my side in the trenches. I want to know that they shoot the gun in the right way.

44:39 So they had a heated discussion. Barnabas is determined, so he takes Mark with him and goes away to Cyprus. We don't hear of him again in the book of Acts. But Paul chose Silas and went forth being commended by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

44:53 And what did he do? He went through Syria and Cilicia. Here's our verb again. Strengthening the churches.

45:02 Now, did he preach the gospel? Sure he did. Did he evangelize? I'm sure he did.

45:07 But the Holy Ghost has put the spotlight on this one activity, strengthening the churches. And then it's found in one other passage in Acts chapter 18.

45:19 Now, you may not get excited, but as I told my wife, this excited me. I've never seen that constant use of this particular Greek verb. Episterizo, I like to say. If you like to say episterizo, that's what they episterizo the people.

45:34 It's just got, it's just got infinite. So what do they do? Acts chapter 18, 22 to 23. And when he had landed at Caesarea and went up and greeted the church, went down to Antioch, some of you have a marginal reading in your New King James version that mentions Jerusalem.

45:51 I won't go into that. This is our concern. And having spent some time, he departed and went through the region of Galatia. That's on the upper rim of the sea as it comes in.

46:06 Jerusalem's down here. And then you move up Tarsus and over into Galatia. You're getting over now into what we call Asia Minor, where Peter was writing to his disciples further west. But in that, in that area, and what is he doing?

46:20 Or what are they doing? Having spent some time there, they departed and went through the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, and here's our verb. Here's our verb, that he said, read so again, strengthening the churches. Establishing, strengthening all the disciples.

46:41 That was their ministry.

46:45 Are you persuaded? Let me give you one more passage, all right? Acts 16. Acts 16.

46:52 And he, even though he's in company with Silas, just Luke focuses on Paul, and he came also to Derbe and to Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a Jewess that believed, but his father was a Greek. He was a half-breed Jew. Or if you're a Greek, you'd say he was a half-breed Greek.

47:14 Whichever one you want to give prominence to, it was 50-50. The same was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra in Iconium. He had already proven his graces and gifts. And when Paul became aware of this, it says him, Paul would have to go forth with him, and he took and circumcised him because of the Jews that were in those parts, for they all knew his father was a Greek.

47:36 Paul said, I'm not going to go into a synagogue, and when someone finds out this guy's papa's a Greek and he's not been circumcised, they're going to cause a riot. So he says, Timothy, let's go down to the local rabbi and get this taken care of. Nobody's telling us we have to do this to be saved. This is a matter of indifference.

47:51 We're going to be coming. As Jews, where we tend to win Jews and not unnecessarily offend them. So, Timothy, just bite your lip. Endure the physical discomfort.

48:00 We're going to get lots of returns from this in terms of a ready entrance into synagogues and the preaching of the gospel. And as they went on their way through the cities, they delivered them the decrees to keep which had been ordained to the apostles and elders that were Jerusalem. And what was the result? So the churches were strengthened.

48:21 Not the synagogues, the same Greek verb, the episterizo. The only time this word is used elsewhere in the New Testament is in Acts chapter 3. That lame man sitting at the gate of the temple and when Peter spoke to him it says that he received strength. His ankles were strengthened from paralyzed, unable to function as normal ankles and feet.

48:46 They received strength. That's the verb that's used. So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily. Now, dear people, if God the Holy Spirit is saying anything to us when we come with this question, oh God, there's no question in our minds the church exists to promote your glory.

49:11 But Lord, how do we promote your glory? And the scriptures that have shown us we promote His glory by seeking to establish His worship according to His word. We promote His glory by edification within the life of the church, by the manifestation of practical love one to another. We promote His glory by declaring the gospel among all the nations, by establishing churches and surely the scriptures speak with an equally clear voice.

49:48 We pursue and promote His glory by the salvation and strengthening of churches. This is the evidence presented, the evidence that in addition to spirit-directed labors in proclaiming the gospel and then establishing or planting churches out of the fruit of their gospel labors, the apostles and those laboring with them under the direction of the Spirit were committed to a specific ministry of strengthening churches. And why was this so? Because they were convinced by their Lord and Master from whom they took their directives that the church was both central and indispensable

The Specific Focus of Apostolic Letters: Strengthening Churches

50:31 in the saving purposes of God. Now having considered the selective record of apostolic labors to strengthen churches just in a very few minutes, very quickly, this second category, the specific focus of the apostolic letters. Now let me ask a very basic question. It's this.

50:52 With but several exceptions, what is the common denominator of all the epistles of the New Testament? That is, the books in our Bible in the New Testament after the gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which as some scholars have said are really extensive passion narratives. Most of the gospels take the last one quarter, one more close to a third to expand the last week of our Lord's life. And hence, they are called passion narratives with some necessary preliminaries.

51:27 But they focus upon the person, the life, the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Then the book of Acts, from Romans all the way clear to the book of the Revelation. We call those the epistles, the letters of the New Testament. Now my question is this.

51:40 With but several exceptions, what is the lowest common denominator of all the epistles of the New Testament? What is the unifying concern of these books of the Bible from Romans to Revelation? Is the common denominator that they are theological treatises containing various aspects of the doctrine of salvation in Christ? Some would read them that way.

52:09 They are full of marvelous expositions of the doctrines of God's salvation in Christ. Ephesians 1, Ephesians 2. Marvelous, marvelous. The book of Romans.

52:22 But is that the list? The lowest common denominator? Would you say that that is true of the book of Philemon? That that's true of 1 Timothy?

52:31 Would you say that's true of 2 Corinthians? Is the common denominator that they are theological treatises concerning various aspects of the doctrine of salvation? I think not. Is the common denominator that they are longer or shorter manuals for personal devotional exercises?

52:51 I confess with shame that's what I regarded them to be, the lowest common denominator, for years. Romans through Revelation are God's gift of a devotional manual, so I have something to take into my closet when I have devotions. I really believed that that was their lowest common denominator. And I approached them that way.

53:11 I loved them. I wore out the pages of a Thompson Chain reference Bible in the first three or four years of my life as a Christian. But is that really the lowest common denominator? I think not.

53:23 Is the lowest common denominator, I think, not? Is the lowest common denominator that they are a collection of selected essays on how to have a happy marriage, a prosperous career, and a safe eternity? Well, the way a lot of seminars handle the Bible, you'd think that. Come have your weekend on marriage enrichment based on the Word of God.

53:45 Come in your weekend seminar. Of course, if you register early, it only costs you $150. After the deadline, it'll cost you $179. Making merchandise of the Word of God.

53:57 Shame on them. Shame on them. No. The lowest common denominator of all the epistles with but only several exceptions is this.

54:12 They are letters calculated to strengthen existing churches. And you don't need to know a word of Greek. You don't need to know the first or the last alphabet, a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. You don't even need to have a good translation.

54:31 Anything that even has a good translation, anything that even remotely reflects what the text says, you'll come to the persuasion that the lowest common denominator is they are letters calculated to strengthen churches. Now, some of you have got just enough streak of nastiness in you. Say, I'm going to prove him wrong. Well, if that gets you reading from Romans to Revelation next week, I'll say hallelujah for your streak of nastiness.

54:59 Because you know what's going to happen? You're going to end up agreeing with me. You read Romans to Revelation next week, I'll say hallelujah for your streak of nastiness. You will.

55:06 Because when you read the book of Romans, whereas you thought, well, the Spirit of God need to give us some structured presentation of the gospel, and we happen to use Paul to do it, you realize this is a church-centered, church-based, church-oriented letter. Paul tells them, I hope to come by you and make a new gospel foray into Rome. And I don't want my supporting church to be ignorant of the gospel I preach. So you want to know what gospel I preach when I get up there into Spain?

55:34 No. I'll tell you. It's that gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. It's the gospel that begins with divine wrath against all classes of sinners.

55:46 A gospel that lifts us to see substitutionary sin-bearing in the propitiatory work of Jesus Christ. It's a gospel received by faith. It's a gospel that breaks the dominion of sin. It's a gospel that introduces us into an experiential knowledge of the person and work of the Spirit.

56:05 And the whole epistle is an exposition of the gospel. To what end? So a missionary can have a supporting church wholeheartedly committed to his passionate evangelistic vision and burden. And then Paul says, by the way, I happen to know that there are Jews and Gentiles in that church, and some of you are having problems with the baggage from your background, so you have that marvelous treatment of Christian liberty in chapter 14 through 15.8.

56:34 Why? So that church would be a healthy church. You wouldn't have the Jewish people with their particular dietary scruples over here, and the Gentiles with their non-scruples over here, this one pointing at that one saying, you're a legalist, and this one over there pointing at this one and saying, you're a libertine. Why did he deal with the thing?

56:54 So the church would be strong in its unity. And Corinthians, what's he doing? Sorting out messes in the church at Corinth. Now concerning.

57:04 It's been reported to me in the house of Chloe that you've got categories of divisiveness. I'm the Paul. Here's how we're going to deal with it. Oh, and by the way, now concerning.

57:13 Now concerning. What is 1 Corinthians? It's a letter sorting out the messes in a church founded by Paul. 2 Corinthians is Paul's indicating the validity of this apostolic office that he might continue to do what?

57:29 Strengthen that church. If he's been pushed out of their heart and out of their confidence that he's the real apostle, he can't influence them. So he says, I'll speak as a fool to do what? Reestablish my influence to strengthen you.

57:42 The book of Galatians, people are teaching you've got to go to the local rabbi and become a kosher Jew if you want to be really saved. And Paul said, no, no, no, no. Churches are the product of the gospel. You touch the gospel, you'll distort what a church is.

58:00 You misrepresent Christ. So Galatians is written for churches. For churches in Galatia. To correct aberrant doctrinal perspectives.

58:10 Why? That the church would not become infected and become diseased. My friend, you go through the epistles of the New Testament, and the lowest common denominator is this. They are letters calculated to strengthen churches.

58:28 Ah, but you say, for a sect of Titus written individuals, ah yes, but what were they doing? Timothy was left at Ephesus to do what? To strengthen the church. To shut the mouths of the heretics.

58:40 For this cause I left you in Ephesus that you might charge certain men not to teach a different doctrine. And then to mature the church in the recognition of further office bearers. If a man desires overseership, he desires a good work. The bishop must therefore be.

58:58 Deacons likewise must be. Oh, and by the way, I suffer not a woman to teach nor to usurp authority over a man. But to be in silence. And oh, by the way, in the church taking care.

59:09 They are letters to a man who is an apostolic representative. Governing and guiding the church at Ephesus. And what about Titus? For this cause I left you in Crete.

59:19 That you should set in order the things that are lacking. And ordain elders in every city as I gave you charge. If you teach the brethren these things, you should be a good minister of Christ. What's he doing?

59:30 He's coaching people. Who are laboring to strengthen churches. I say again, that may not excite you. But that excites me.

59:41 Because if this isn't true. I've been a fool. I've given my life to see a church planted. And a church strengthened.

59:53 And if that isn't what God has on his priority list. What a terrible thing to discover it in the waning years of my life. And go to my grave repenting. That I spent my life for something other than that which God is committed to.

60:10 But in the language of David. When Michal got all hot and bothered. And upset because he was dancing before the ark. He said you ain't seen nothing yet baby.

60:23 I should be yet more vile. If I'm vile because I'm dancing before the ark. I've got more enthusiasm for my God to show in ways. That'll grind your socks woman.

60:36 But I don't care. And that's what this has done for me. To go to my Bible afresh. Saying oh God.

60:44 If we were wrong in framing this constitution. That this church exists. To promote the glory of the God of the scriptures. By planting and strengthening churches.

60:59 Oh God show me now. While I at least can repent. And make some public retractions. But bless God.

61:08 I've not had one thing from my Bible. The only thing that's produced repentance. Is that I've not labored more single-mindedly. To the strengthening of this church.

61:19 And churches wherever God has given me. An influence. So I leave with you. What to me is the clear and compelling evidence.

61:28 From these two major categories. The selective record of apostolic labors. Demonstrates their commitment. The strengthening of churches.

Application: Instruction, Encouragement, Exhortation, and Warning

61:38 And the specific focus of the apostolic letters. Validates their commitment to strengthen churches. Now we've got to bring this home. To all of our consciences.

61:51 In a closing application. Having analyzed the apostolic pattern. For the planting and strengthening of churches. What does this all say to us?

62:02 What we have considered regarding the apostolic pattern. I believe says first of all. A word of instruction. And indoctrination.

62:13 All scripture is given by inspiration of God. And is profitable for teaching. And while some of you are new to the faith. I trust this has been a word of instruction.

62:24 And indoctrination. And while many of you firmly believe. In the unique and non-transferable nature. Of the apostolic office.

62:34 Authority and gifts. I trust we all believe that. We do believe that their obedience. To the great commission.

62:40 Contains the will of Christ. For his people in all ages. Minus unique apostolic gifts and authority. Hear what I've said.

62:51 Chosen my words carefully. If we don't find in the apostles. How the church is to carry out its mandate. Where are we going to find it?

63:02 Because this book we call the New Testament. Is an apostolic book. All of the writings were either. From the pen of apostles.

63:13 From the mouth of apostles. To those who were their penman. Their Emanuensis. I guess is plural of Emanuensis.

63:20 You Latin students will correct me afterwards. And then there were those. Whose writings had the approbation. The smile and approval of apostles.

63:29 And if we don't find within. The canon of the New Testament. How we're to do the work. Of fulfilling the commission.

63:37 Where are we going to find it? Am I to be left at the mercy. Of the latest church marketing gurus. The latest social media.

63:44 The latest sociologists. Who interpret the gospel. And the church's mission. In terms of categories.

63:50 Of current sociological fads. God have mercy on us. To the law and to the testimony. We've got to be plastered to this book.

64:00 With respect to how we're going to do this work. And I trust. That this has been a word of instruction. And indoctrination.

64:08 I preach with a view to indoctrinating. Now if I try to preach into you something in this book. Spit it out. Stomp on it.

64:17 Cuss it. Grind it into the ground. But if I help you see what's in your Bible. Then it's not my opinion.

64:24 Or Trinity Church's opinion. It's the word of the living God. Secondly. I hope this will be a word of encouragement.

64:30 And for me it is a word of commendation. To you God's people. From the outset. Of the formation of Trinity Church in 67.

64:39 This church has been committed. To the proclamation of the gospel. To the establishment. To the establishing and strengthening of churches.

64:49 And while I wish there were more places. Where we could say there's a church that's been planted. As a fruit of gospel endeavors. And strengthened.

64:57 By whatever influence God gave us. I thank God. There's a church meeting this morning. Out in Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

65:04 With over 200 people gathered to worship. And to serve. And to preach. And to seek to plant churches.

65:09 They themselves I think have been instrumental. In planting one or two churches. God enabled us to plant that church. When we were only 18 months planted ourselves.

65:19 And there's a congregation in East London. That meets to worship the living God. And is bringing praise to him. And seeking to evangelize.

65:29 And there was for a while. A church in Sweden. We had to give it a decent burial. But we labored to see a church established.

65:36 In Gothenburg, Sweden. Our Swedish friends would say Utibor. But Gothenburg. We Anglicized folk say.

65:43 And there is a church today. In the Philippines. And there is the embryo of a church. In Rawalpindi, Pakistan.

65:47 And there in Newark. There's a church. That's been planted. In churches that have been strengthened.

65:51 Because God has given to you. His people. This conviction. That our energies.

65:57 Our prayers. In the language of the hymn. We sing. For her.

66:01 Our tears. Will flow. To her. Our toils.

66:05 And cares. Be given. For her. Our prayers.

66:09 In the language of the hymn. We sing. For her. Our tears.

66:13 Will flow. To her. Our prayers. Be given.

66:17 Till toils. And cares. Shall end. And I want to encourage you.

66:21 Our prayer meetings. Our radio broadcasts. Our tape ministry. The book ministry.

66:25 The use of pastoral gifts. And time. And energy. And the conferences.

66:29 What is the end of all of this? It's the strengthening of churches. Men come here in the fall. Some of them beaten.

66:33 And bruised. And discouraged. Spiritually. Thankfully.

66:37 Not physically. Losing their bearings. Beginning to feel like Elijah. That I ought to be.

66:41 I ought to be. I ought to be. I ought to be. I ought to be.

66:45 And they sit among. A hundred. A hundred and fifty. Of their fellow pastors.

66:49 With the same. Passions. And yearnings. And griefs.

66:53 And pains. And they go back. Invigorated. To do what?

66:57 To be better pastors. To their churches. Though all are running about. And fixing soups.

67:02 And sandwiches. And the rest. This is what it's all about folks. Never lose sight.

67:06 Of the great end. And I would encourage you. To abound more. And more.

67:10 And commend you. And then I hope it'll be. Thirdly. A word of exhortation.

67:14 And motivation. Paul could say. Thessalonians. I don't need to write to you about love of the brethren. You already have been taught

67:21 of God to love one another. But he says, I exhort you to abound more and more. So without any note of scolding, I trust what we've studied yesterday, last Lord's Day and today will be a word of exhortation and motivation. As you consider the use of your gifts, the stewardship of your money, career goals, educational goals, where are you going to live? Don't ever get far removed as an

67:45 individual believer from this commitment to do all within your power to line up with the heart of Christ in the proclamation of the gospel, in the establishing and the strengthening of churches. Let that great Christ delineated passion regulate all of your choices. And then a word of warning and admonition. Never, never think we are wiser than God in answering the question, by what means can we bring the most glory to God? Seems every time I turn around, there's somebody

68:23 else who says, oh, I know I can glorify God. I'm going to start this organization. I'm going to start this parachurch ministry. I've got a vision. I've got a burden. And God hasn't called me to be

68:34 the corrector of such people, but I read what they say and I grieve. I grieve because either Christ is talking out of both sides of his mouth or Christ isn't telling one day what they think Christ is telling them. Christ doesn't say, I'll build my, I'll build my church. And then I'm calling you to do something that not only has no direct relationship to the church, but will bleed off the manpower and the resources and the focus of the church into your parachurch ministry. Folks, I warn you, the pressure will be upon you. And

69:05 often it seems so good. It seemed good to us to steady the ark. The ark is God's place of special dwelling. He dwells above the ark. Don't let it fall. He touches it and God kills him. Sincerity

69:18 of motive does not negate. The culpability of action. I don't want to answer to Christ for floating organizations that have nothing to do with the building and the strengthening of churches. If God gives me any more time in my pilgrimage, I want to be yet more vile. And I long to see us as a church even more

69:39 committed in days to come. If God sets before us specific propositions that will involve the planting of churches in other places, will our hearts instinctively not say, well, what will that mean to me? What will that mean to us? But what will that mean to the heart of Christ who has those sheep in other places? And he says, I must bring them. Will we be excited at the prospect of more church planting,

70:05 more church strengthening endeavors? I trust we shall. And by the grace of God, never be turned aside. Well, again, say, Pastor Martin, your confessions aren't cutting much. You're doing it

70:18 week after week. I trust I will get back to sticking within the ark. But I didn't know how to split up this baby without killing it. So I trust you bear with me. Let's pray.

70:30 Father, we're so thankful that we have the scriptures as a lamp unto our feet and a light to our pathway. I thank you, Father, for your patience with me. When I think of those years when I was not deliberately defiant of the truth of your word, but ignorant, and how grieved I am that I thought I could grow and develop and serve you. With no real biblical attachment to any church. Lord, we thank you that you are patient with us.

71:11 Thank you that you gently lead us. And we pray that the things we've considered in these past two studies will be so written upon our hearts that they will mold and shape our lives individually and corporately. And that you would come by the Holy Spirit and make us a stronger church to the end that we might be engaged more fully. And more enterprisingly in the planting and strengthening of other churches here in our Jerusalem and Judea and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. Seal then your word to our hearts, we plead, and give us grace

71:46 to be obedient for Jesus' sake. Amen.