Leadership's Divine Assignment_2 Series

INTRODUCTION

Outline.

2. The Leadership’s: Divine Assignment

Introductory Remarks.

1. The second lesson in this Series: “Divine Call to Leadership,” will be “The Leadership’s Divine Assignment.”

2. We will discuss the elders at Ephesus’ divine assignment. Paul continued with his discourse: “For I know this that after my departure shall grievous wolves enter among you, not sparing the flock... And of you, men arise... Therefore, watch and remember... I cease not to warn every one night and day with tears,” Acts 20:29-31. This is an office of service and devotion to the people of God. The leadership is ever vigilant in its oversight of the church.

3. They must defend her from false doctrines and the wolves constantly attacking her. This will be accomplished with careful watching, frequent prayers to God, and shedding tears for its safety and salvation, as “they watch for their souls.” With this brief introduction, let’s consider our second lesson.

BODY OF LESSON

II THE LEADERSHIP’S: DIVINE ASSIGNMENT

A. Urgency of their assignment: “For I know this after my departure.” This was already working as the apostles spoke to these leaders on the beach at Miletus. He knew this because the Holy Spirit empowered him as an apostle. Notice:

1. First, he notes: “For I know this, that after my departure,” all these things will occur. They shall occur real soon. Paul’s presence, vigilance, and preaching in Ephesus kept these wolves at bay. But now, “he goes bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem; and they will see his face no more,” Acts 20:22; Acts 20:25; Acts 20:38.

a. He admonishes these elders to be on guard, for after his departure, these wolves will be entering among them (Acts 20:29). They were promised first to come from without. They: “Shall enter in among you.”

b. They will attack the “faith and confidence” of the leadership and the church.

c. Therefore, they must watch for and be prepared to deal with these assaults from evil workers and false brethren (of the circumcision), Philippians 3:2, Galatians 2:4, and 2 Corinthians 11:26.

2. Further, the minister’s work prepares the leadership, other ministers, and the church to stand on the word, whether he is there or absent. He advised the church at Philippi: “Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ: that whether I come and see you, or else be absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,” Philippians 1:27.

a. This was Paul’s ministry, to equip the church to stand against all attacks from outside and those from among his fellow citizens and false brethren.

b. He warned the Galatians of such a departure, Galatians 1:6-12. He thought it strange that these “new babies” in Christ were on the verge of “departing from the grace of God; unto another gospel, which is not another,” Galatians 1:6-7.

c. He asked the Thessalonians to “Pray for him, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you: And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men: for all men have not faith...but the Lord is faithful; who shall establish you, and keep you from evil,” 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3.

3. Next, he warned Timothy of such a departure: “The Spirit speaketh expressly that some shall depart from the faith,” 1 Timothy 4:1-5; 2 Thessalonians 2:3. This will occur in the latter times in the not-so-distant future. He doesn’t suggest how far away this departure lurks; he merely states it will come. Paul affirms: “Some shall depart from the faith.” There shall be a “great apostasy.” Paul notes some signs or teachings of this great apostasy in this Letter. Notice:

a. They are giving heed to seducing spirits. The apostle seems to recognize a supernatural element spoken by false prophets in false utterances that claim to be from God. These seducing spirits might work through hierarchs, who claimed to speak for God, or councils that claimed to make infallible utterances. They speak and preach the commandments of men, Matthew 15:7-9.

b. They are teaching the doctrines of devils. These doctrines are the work and suggestions of demons. The word for devils in Gr., is “Daimonion,” which means demons, not devil; in the New Testament, it always refers to an “evil spirit,” Acts 19:15-16.

c. They will be speaking lies through hypocrisy. He states: "Some shall depart from the faith ...through the hypocrisy of men, speaking lies." These men will speak lies; some doubtless because of deception, and others to insight deception. They may know the “truth,” but for “filthy lucre’s sake,” they fail to reverence and teach it, Titus 1:11-16.

d. The great deceiver shall: “Come after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause, God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness,” 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12.