Acts 20, On the Way

Acts chapter 20 will be being the whole chapter starting in verse 1. Hear the word of the Lord. After the uproar ceased Paul sent for the disciples and after encouraging them He said farewell and departed for Macedonia when he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement.

He came to Greece there He spent three months and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria He decided to return through Macedonia. Sopotar the Berean the son of Pyrrhus accompanied him and of the Thessalonians Aristarchus and Segundus and Gaius of Derby and Timothy and the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus these went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas.

But we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread and in five days We came to them in Troas where we stayed for seven days. On the first day of the week when we were gathered together to break bread Paul talked with them Intending to depart on the next day and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

There were many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered and a young man named Eutychus Sitting at the window sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer and being overcome by sleep he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead.

And Paul went down and bent over him and talking and taking him in his arms said do not be alarmed for his life is in him. And when Paul had gone up and broken bread and eaten he conversed with them a long while until daybreak and so departed and they took the youth away alive and We're not a little comforted.

But going ahead to the ship we set sail for a sauce intending to take Paul aboard there. For so he had arranged intending himself to go by land and when he met us at a sauce We took him on board and went to Medellin and sailing from there We came to the following day opposite Chios the next day We touched at some us.

The day after that we went to Miletus for Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus So that he might not have to spend time in Asia for he was hastening to be at Jerusalem a possible on the day of Pentecost.

Now from a lettuce he sent to To Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him He said to them you yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that Happened to me through the plots of the Jews how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable and teaching you in public and from house to house testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

And Now behold, I'm going to Jerusalem constrained by the Spirit not knowing what will happen to me there. Except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me.

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And Now behold, I know that none none of you among whom I've gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you for I did not shrink from declaring To you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves to all the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the Church of God Which he obtained with his own blood.

I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock and Among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish everyone with tears and Now I commend you to God into the word of his grace Which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

I coveted no one silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands minister to my necessities and to those who were with Me in all things. I have shown you that by working hard in this way We must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus how he set himself said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

And when he had said these things He knelt down and prayed with them all and there was much weeping on the part of all. They embraced Paul and kissed him being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken That they would not see his face again and they accompanied him to the ship.

May the Lord add his blessings to the reading of his Holy Word. Well ever gone on a trip for the purpose of Seeing what you can see along the way in 2003 when I was I was a substitute. I was substitute teaching.

Mary was doing what she's still doing Working as an editor through the Internet. We had solar house. We put all our stuff in storage and we went on trip to Singapore and we were about to come back to the USA in Early July.

I didn't have to be we didn't have to be anywhere in particular until the start of the school year in, Tennessee. We had our plane tickets to fly back from Singapore to Seattle. But then decided that instead of buying another set of tickets to get from Seattle to Tennessee We buy a vehicle and enjoy the journey.

The price is basically the same. So we found a car dealership online. You know in Singapore found it online and called them and saying, you know If you pick us up at the airport and take us to your lot, we'll look into buying Something from you.

And he did and we did we got a red Chevrolet minivan that we basically then lived out of for the next two months for most of the next few months as we Toured first Washington State and then Oregon and Northern California and Idaho and Montana North and South Dakota Seeing every National Park we could along the way the Olympic Mountains Mount Rainier Crater Lake Yellowstone Mount Rushmore then East Shenandoah closer to here, Washington DC Gettysburg Williamsburg.

We took that van all the way from the Pacific Coast To the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It was an epic journey. When we moved here in 2007, we still had that same red minivan as though. This was his final destination.

You're on the way to somewhere. Do you know where it is? Someone said life is a journey. Not a destination. Well, that sounds clever. Doesn't it is to encourage you to stop and smell the roses to enjoy the views and enjoy the trip.

It sounds clever, but it really doesn't make a whole lot of sense if you think about it every journey by definition Has a destination. You're not just wandering. I don't think if you are you're in trouble journeys are about getting somewhere.

Yes, you should enjoy the journey. But you but you better have a destination and someone said life is a journey and journeys are all about direction. Now the great thing about that trip was that sure we didn't have to be anywhere for like two months.

We still had to be somewhere. We still have a final destination, but we could wake up for you know for about two months. One point ten days in a row we did not sleep even in a building. Okay, like camp right by the by the minivan or in it, but we for a while.

We could wake up and see where we're gonna go today. You know get it thought the map, you know. What is it now the redwood forests the crater lake or wherever and we could wander like that. But we eventually had a destination and even getting to those Places along the way we needed this day before GPS.

We needed a map. We need to know our course. Someone said life is a journey not a race. We weren't in a hurry. But we still needed directions, but whether or not whether or not it is a race it is has a course and You better know how to follow it.

Up until now in acts. Lisa with a story of Paul the last few chapters. You could get the feeling that he's just kind of wondering, you know. One point he's like you want to go into what they call Asia.

Which is this province and what we now call Turkey and he said the spirit of the Lord wouldn't allow him to. So he's the spirit leads him here leads him there and they gets a vision at night go to the Macedonia.

And you you know, he doesn't have a definite plan of every place. He wants to go if he does he's allowing the Lord to override it. You can get the feeling that he's just there's no pattern. There's no plan.

There's no destination, but remember the goal the course. Of the book of Acts from chapter 1 verse 8 Jesus said you will receive power. The church received that power at Pentecost and we now receive it with the Holy Spirit at conversion and you will be my witnesses here in Jerusalem.

Where they are Judea the area around Samaria where Philip first God went and now to the end of the earth now Paul won't make it to the end of the earth. By the end of Acts, but he will Make it to where the ends of the earth come.

To a crossroads of the earth and that's the trip we're following. It's from now until the end of Acts getting there by the end of this book is the destination and now in chapter 20 He begins the steps that will get him there To the crossroads of the end of the earth and he determines like Jesus before him and in the first volume Luke To go to Jerusalem now from here on Paul will do some encouraging some strengthening along the way, but basically his Traveling missionary days are over.

I don't know whether he knew that or not. But this things have changed now. He's not planning new churches. He's he'll strengthen the ones he's already established, but he's heading toward Jerusalem. He's turned a corner and now set on following the course.

And here we see him on the way. We see here in Acts 24 things that he needs and that we need as we're on the way for things first. We need companionship. Then signs then purpose and then finally the final destination first we need companionship.

After the ride in Ephesus Paul summons the Christians there and says, you know, farewell. These will be his last words to the church in Ephesus, which he planted. He spent three years there. Nurturing it growing it parting is such sweet sorrow.

Shakespeare said we have a tradition here among us that when people are going On their way somewhere else when they're moving out of the area that we send them off with a blessing and a prayer. And allow them to have a few last words to us, you know.

It's sad to occasionally have to say goodbye to people, but I think one of the most moving Pathetic you don't even have a good word for it anymore. Because the word pathetic has been ruined. But the word pathetic originally meant it's all word meaning to be full of pathos be full of feeling one of the most moving Pathetic departures I've ever seen, you know goodbyes Was when we were moving back to the US from Singapore in 2002.

But Mary's mother had been living with us and helped raise the boys and even though Joshua was only four years old at the time He must have sensed how how big a change a ripping apart that this move would be from his grandmother.

And so one last time is we're getting into a car to take us to the airport and she's going elsewhere. She's going she's not going in the car with us. He Joshua flogged out his hands four-year-old four-year-old boy and ran toward his grandmother crying out Papa.

Chinese nickname for grandmother. This chapter is dominated by Paul giving his last words to the churches that he's seen for the last time. And as he goes on his way to his destination, he's parting with them.

The sweet sorrow every one of these farewells was emotional. There's these tears streaming. It's sorrowful is lingering his final words and hugs and walks to the ship that will carry him to the next place.

Slow walks to remember. For Paul they were emotional because his churches weren't just you know Preaching centers kind of religious businesses as impersonal as theaters, you know. Was it though people in his church that you want to go see a play or do you want to go see that Jewish guy?

Preach. No, I you know, I've been to a fair number of movies at the Danville theater. But if I ever have to move away from here, I doubt I'll feel a sentimental attachment to the theater. Oh, I've go say farewell to the people behind giving the popcorn.

No, I don't think so. Hopefully though there will be people. People in the church particular that I feel attached to and hard and find hard to leave. This is a farewell tour and he's seeing not just religious businesses that he set up.

But churches which is which means assemblies gatherings of people people he's attached to like they're parts of a body together friends and He's making this this tour with a group of a group of friends.

Companions. There are nine companions listed in verses four to six as eight names including his young disciple Timothy and the ninth is. Did you notice in verse six and the unnamed but once again present?

Traveling companion. Luke the doctor. The writer of this book. He's obviously now joined Paul because now it's no longer they Went here or there but we you need a we. That's what churches are supposed to be a we.

Traveling companions on your journey to keep you on course. That's why church membership is. Is your commitment to to this us? That's why it's important. It's a commitment to walk or run together in Christian love to stay on course with the rest of the pack.

The most important thing really isn't that you sign your name to a commitment. But that you have that commitment in your heart to stay with this group of people because you need companions. You need a we that you're traveling with.

Well second there are signs. They're back at Troas where they picked up Luke and Paul will give his last words to the church there. When people are giving their last words They're gonna try to make them count.

Usually meaningful words. The last meaningful things you have to say. Beethoven's last words are supposed to have been friends. Applaud. The comedy is over. Marie Antoinette's last words as she stood before the guillotine.

Was pardon me, sir. I meant not to do it as she accidentally stepped on the executioner's foot speaking of execution a man named James Donald French. Mr. French. About to be executed in Oklahoma's electric chair called out to the press there.

Hey fellas. How about this for a headline for tomorrow's paper? French fries. That's bad in it. That's horrible. Paul's last words before. Continuing on his way leaving his friends behind though or more meaningful than that.

At Troas as he is they are gathered together in a third floor room to eat. Paul started to talk with them. On a Sunday night. This is the first day of the week. So that's a Sunday night. Notice he started in the evening sometime.

He's in the Greek where they're dialoguing. We talked about that last week. Dialoguing with them the same word used again in verse 7 that means like lecturing and during questions probably interactive.

Engaging them he continued to talk on and on the room was full of it says full of these oil lamps. That fill the room with fumes so it makes it he makes people even drowsier as they're sitting there listening to him.

But these were his last words. So they let him go on and on. No one wants to tell him. You know, that's too much. We've had enough a young man Utica's probably in his early teens. Oh boy was sitting on the windowsill probably probably sitting there for the fresh air from all the fumes.

But he's not as disciplined as the adults. He lets himself fall into a complete sleep and fell out of the window to the ground from the third floor. Now some question whether he's really killed by the fall.

Maybe just knocked out but Luke says in verse 9 that he was dead and he is after all a doctor. Paul went down and scooped him up and proclaimed don't be alarmed. His life is still in him. When it was all over they took him away alive and well.

It was a sign of the Lord's blessing on Paul's mission on his this farewell tour. It was a time for life not a time for death. For the second time in Acts someone is raised from the dead resuscitated.

The signs show God's blessing that the kingdom of God is. Advancing that even if it is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God the signs show us. The signs like on a race course turn here go this way that we're still on track.

There we're still going the way God has laid out for us to go. I'm glad we've had some signs at key points in the life of this church from the very first. Literally from the very first when that when the vote had been to stay or to go and.

Then I opened my sermon notes for the very first sermon and find that several years before I had given it the title stay or like when we were considering buying this building and $1 ,200 a monthly support was withdrawn from us if we do buy this building only to get a gift out of the blue.

That very same day by someone who knew nothing about what was going on for. Guess how much $1 ,200. Or most recently when I last year when Cooley Rationally concluded that just no I'm not sure. I don't think Covenant's gonna make it on a Sunday morning before church.

Only for that to be the day that two people came introducing themselves. Hi. My name is Robert. This is my wife Rachel and she volunteered to help with the music on the way out. Those are signs think even today that Herbie is here help us with the music when Rachel can make it.

These are signs that that God is with us on this way. There were still on course. That doesn't mean we'll be spared from all Suffering or going through difficult times, but sometimes he gives signs that he's with us even through those times here.

They were it says they were not a little comforted by the sign of the raising of Utica's. Imagine if he had left dead. I mean think of that you would have your memory of the Paul. Paul saying farewell would be that boy Utica's got killed that day.

Too sad to be sad, but that God didn't want that to happen. So he gave a sign now the day Paul last day. Paul's day last day was the day Utica's was raised from the dead. That's a sign. They were not a little comforted by that sign.

We're also comforted when God gives us signs that we're on course. The time will come sooner or later. When I will need to be saying my last words is the pastor here that maybe. That is time for me to step aside.

The main sign I would hope would be that we see the Lord provide another band to pastor this church. We are I we can. I guess I could try to hide from that sign as a way to hold on. To the status quo to avoid the future kind of linger to where we are to avoid the sweet sorrow.

But I think we should be open to to it whenever the sign might come the third on the way you need purpose. From verses 13 to 16. We see that Paul has a purpose. He no longer appears to be wandering. He's focused and he's intent and verse 13 He decides to hike rather than take the ship because it's faster for him.

He doesn't want it that he wasn't want the leisurely cruise. He's in a hurry now and when he finally boards the ship. We're given just a list of places this place name to be visited in verses 14 and 15 quickly one after another.

Just going right through them. He's in such a hurry. He's not gonna visit Ephesus again. He just knows too many people there and he knows them too. Well ever you know, if you ever purposely not visited.

Someone are not gone someplace where you might run into some people. Because you know, you'll have to talk to them. Not because you don't like them. Because you do and you know, you just can't duck in and say hi and and bye.

I think we're missing a couple that today for those for a similar reason. They just don't want to engage the people. They like us but is now it's not when they feel like Talking in. Paul is in a similar situation here.

He doesn't have the time. I think that's why many of us like texting over calling, you know. If you call you don't have to do at least a little small talk. You say hi, you know, how's it going? And if you text though, you can just make one quick point, you know, please change the light or something like that.

Whatever Paul wasn't too much of a hurried to go to Ephesus because he has a purpose. He is a mission specifically to be at Jerusalem by Pentecost and Jesus part 2 the book of Acts has a mission for him through Jerusalem.

Getting to the ends of the earth. Do you know what your purpose is? Your mission. Does it drive you does it urge you on. Sometimes make you in a hurry. It should be and it must be if it's from God. Somehow related to fulfilling the mission the Lord Jesus gave us to get the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Fourth and finally. What we need is we're on our way is the destination. We see that in his speech to the Ephesian elders now, there's an enormous amount. Packed into this speech was basically the second half of the chapter.

His last words to the church in Ephesus in verses 18 to 35 more than I can sufficiently handle in one sermon. But I hope it to be able to revisit this passage in January as we look at a dispository preaching here.

We see that even though Paul is on his way To Jerusalem and he's too much too much in a hurry to visit Ephesus just too many people he would have to talk to it is still important for him to give that church a Farewell address.

So he has the elders come To him. The elders of the church Gathered to him and Miletus where here we see in the only speech and acts that's given to Christians. And we see Paul's last words to a church in five parts.

Right, I'll break it down first his example. Second his message. Third his his present. Fourth their future. And finally his parting instructions. First his example. He says you yourselves know in verse 18 How I lived among you.

His life was an example to them. First he was an example of humility. He wasn't among them as a another traveling speaker. Showing off his brilliance trying to wow them with his eloquence so that they would be overwhelmed despite how great he was.

He says no you yourselves know how I lived among you in all. Humility, he was humble. But he said you yourselves know how I lived among you serving The Lord in all humility. Some people think humility humble people got to serve me.

Says no, he was serving the Lord with humility. Not just you Ephesians doing for you what you wanted was serving the Lord among you. Second he was an example of caring of sympathy of weeping with those who weep.

You yourselves know how I lived with tears. He cried for his people. When they suffered deaths in the family he suffered too. When he rebuked them for their sin. He did it with tears with with the anguish of heart when he warned them about false teachers who were enemies of the cross of Christ he did so with tears this wasn't a a cool impersonal professional relationship as though he gives them the truth and kind of a take it or leave it way and.

Then when the workday is over he forgets about it because this is work, right? So you go home and watch TV who cares? It's out of sight out of mind. No, they're perfect their trials their temptations.

Kept him up at night. They made him cry. He was also an example of Suffering. You yourselves know how I lived with trials that happened to me through the plots of The enemies of the gospel in his day Jews, but in our day may be different enemies today.

Colts are enemies of the gospel like what I debated last May now, but thankfully they don't have the power to effectively persecute us. I'm not I'm not afraid but the Church of Christ people are gonna try to shut us down.

They are the power. But now the culture is being swept by the idea that anyone who says what they regard is quote hate speech. Like that something is immoral or something is perverse. Well, they should be silenced for that.

Social media already implements this you understand. These some company some social media companies if you say what they don't what they don't agree with they will shut you down. Now soon those people the same very same people because that's what they think is the right way to behave.

They're gonna try to get the government to do the same because they think it's right. The gates of hell are plotting to silence the church. We may have to go through suffering on our way. Then there's Paul's message in verse 20.

They know that he did not shrink from declaring Anything that was profitable. He gave them everything they needed he didn't hold anything back he didn't hesitate. I do not shrink. He didn't he didn't hesitate to give them everything.

This is so important to Paul that he says it again in verse 27 using the same word. I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole Council of God everything that God has revealed all of Scripture what we call the Old Testament.

He taught them. That's why we have that's why we here we practice Expository preaching and we'll talk about more about that in January probably. Expository preaching means going through whole books of the Bible taking the past a passage of Scripture.

I mean the what's the main point of that passage the main point of the sermon? We that means we end up often going through passages that other people would think. What do you preach from here? Or just are difficult or controversial.

We're not skipping around his favorite passages here and there. Not cutting and pasting parts of the Bible that we like together kind of ignoring the rest. We want to get the whole Council of God because all of it is profitable.

He did in public and private back in verse 20, you know He did in their big open meetings and when he visited them at home. He testifies to all kind of people in verse 21 says Gentiles and Jews and all kinds of people of repentance toward God it was turned from your sin and turned toward God and Of faith in our Lord Jesus.

Others believe in Jesus and believe the same message did Jesus taught. Jesus came. Teaching about the kingdom of God notice that in verse 25 Paul says that he came proclaiming the kingdom. That the kingdom of God has come with Jesus that he's risen from the dead.

And so now all authority on heaven and earth has been given to him that he must reign until he has put all his enemies Under his feet. That's his message the whole word of God because all of it is about Jesus the king of the kingdom of God.

That's his past with them. He invested three years with them teaching night and day about Jesus from all of the Bible now as his last words to them. He's concerned for the present now in verse 22 He says he's constrained.

He's compelled as if he were bound with ropes and being dragged along by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem. All the while the Holy Spirit was was warning him at every stop along the way. Probably through companions prophesying that it says imprisonment and afflictions await him.

That's the situation he's in right now. As he gives his last words to the leaders of the Ephesian Church. Now people were saying he'd come to every every one of these cities. He went to the listed there here at Ephesus.

Well, he's not the last it's Miletus. Yeah, there was saying to him inspired by the Holy Spirit if you go to Jerusalem. You'll be put in prison. Well, then why would he willingly go? You know, why not resist that?

Compulsion. Why not flee in the other direction? I'm kind like Jonah. Because in verse 24 Here's one of the great mission statements of the Bible. Acts chapter 20 verse 24 one of the great mission statements and all of Scripture.

Why does he knowingly go? Toward a destination that will result in prison and suffering because I Do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself. It's not that he didn't care about himself as if he were some kind of you know, just a masochist suicidal.

That's not it. But he says if only he's gonna count his life as any value or as precious to myself if only He doesn't count his life as valuable if it will interfere. That caring for his life if it will interfere with staying on course with finishing the journey.

That he's began. If you want to be a great athlete scholar our business person. Or whatever you want to be excellent at if that's your your quest. Your your destination that you're trying to get to then you will not care.

You won't really care about the comforts that you have to give up along the way to get there. You won't count is as valuable or as precious to yourself. The warm bed you had to leave to get up early and go run 10 miles in the freezing weather.

Or the late nights that you had to stay up reading books. To get that degree or the long hours you had to put in at the shop. Serving one last customer. You are so drawn to that destination to that goal.

You don't count as precious what you have to give up to get it. The temporary sacrifices You have to go through don't deter you from your goal. So you stay on course. It's that goal that drives you for for Paul here that destination.

Is it of course? It's not winning the Olympics or getting a Nobel Prize or making millions. It's finishing the course that the Lord Jesus has laid out for him. Here, it's the same course as Jesus man himself Going to Jerusalem.

Knowing that he will suffer there. I do not account my life as precious to myself if only I Can finish my course. That course for him was the ministry that the Lord Jesus gave him to do to testify. About the gospel the good news of the grace of God.

It's now the ministry. That the church has to do. That we have to corporately are called to do. We're called most of all to to care not about our comfort. You know about traveling first-class about having a very nice traditional respectable building.

Any of that but but staying on course to all kinds of people in his present then and hours now the vision of our Future destination drives us to stay on course and now. Again, this is the situation he's in now in verse 25.

Behold I was pay attention to this Ephesian elders. I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom Will see my face again. These are his party words to them therefore in verse 26.

Because of that because he's not he's not gonna see them again. I Testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you. Because and this is the reason that he's innocent of their judgment if they are judged.

You know if they're judged and they're found guilty of some sin. They're to be punished for He. Paul is innocent of that. Because in verse 27, I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

He didn't hold anything back. So if they fall into sin or they have some false doctrine. It's not because Paul didn't warn them. His image here is about a watchman on a city wall in those days. What cities had walls you put watchmen on it?

And this image is used in the in the book of Ezekiel. The prophets are like watchmen there to hear the Word of God and when they hear it there to warn the people. Just like the watchman if he sees Danger comings to warn the people.

Now the watchman on the city are only responsible to warn the people if an enemy is coming only Responsible to warn them if they see the enemy and they if they raise the alarm. They tell the city. Hey, there's we're being about to be attacked.

But the people don't prepare if they don't close the gate and defend themselves, well, that's not the watchman's fault. He did his duty. He warned ahead of time. But if the watchman sees the coming attack.

And he fails to warn the people. Maybe he's sympathies are with the other side. Maybe it's a traitor. Maybe he's been bribed. Maybe he just wants to be popular and he doesn't want to to be the bearer of bad news.

You know go around telling people there's enemies coming they won't like that. If that's what he does. He will be held responsible for the warning that he failed to give so to if we hold something back.

If it's just so unpopular. Maybe talk about hell or that some things in the Bible that what the Bible calls sins are really sins. Like breaking your commitments we hold back because people can't stand that anymore.

Whether so the result is when they are judged for their sin when they don't repent. Because they never heard that there was a hell. No one told them. Then we will be held least partly responsible because we didn't warn them here.

Paul says That he warned them. He told them everything that God's Word says so he can leave them. He could go on his way innocent. Now are we innocent. As we go on our way. Now for the future for their future verse 28 is their future.

He's concerned about as he's about to go in his way pay careful attention to yourselves to your own life thesian elders. To whether you know and live by the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention.

To the flock to all the flock the church pay attention to it. Let's think about it. Consider it cry over it. The Holy Spirit has made them overseers the same the same different word, but the same Position is the elders and they are to pastor or to shepherd.

It's the word they're translated is to care for in the SV here to care for pastor. Shepherd the Church of God. Now here's all three terms, by the way for the leaders of the church in this passage their elders their overseers and shepherds.

Pastors, they're the same group of people different different words for the same office. They are to care for the church because God purchased it with his own blood in verse 28. Jesus was God's own and God himself.