Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20000903.htm

STAYING SPIRITUALLY VIBRANT IN THE CHURCH'S LAST DAYS
Part I: Knowing The Times Of The Church's Last Days
  1. Introduction
    1. Repeatedly, even Bible believing Christians are experiencing destructive, painful events in their churches.
    2. Scripture predicted such times for the last days and gave directives on them so God's people could know what was happening, why and how to respond for their spiritual edification (as follows):
  2. Knowing The Times Of The Church's Last Days, Acts 20:28-32 with 1 Chronicles 12:32.
    1. The men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32 were men who understood the times so they could advise the people of Israel for their good. Hence, we follow the example of these men by reviewing Scripture's prophecy on the latter days of the Church era so we know how to stay spiritually vibrant in them.
    2. Acts 20:28-31 provides a general overview of the latter days of the Church, painting a picture of trying times for God's people caused by ungodly men rising to compete against God-sanctioned Church leaders:
      1. In a short but comprehensive last exhortation to the Ephesian elders, Paul claimed "grievous wolves" would enter the Church to do it great harm, Acts 20:29. Such are the apostates noted in 2 Peter 2:1-3:
        1. Men who deny the Person and work of Christ would arise in the Church in its last days, 2 Pet. 2:1a.
        2. They would bring in divisions caused by doctrines that pervert the gospel to the extent that people would not believe the truth to be saved: hence, they would bring in damnable heresies, 2 Peter 2:1b.
        3. Regrettably, many people would follow their lustful ways to the extent that even the Christian faith would be defamed before those outside the Christian community, 2 Peter 2:2-3.
      2. Also, men from within the church would arise distorting (diestrammenays, UBS Grk. N.T., p. 499; Lightfoot, Philippians, p. 117) the truth to compete against God's leaders to gain a following, 20:30.
    3. Accordingly, Paul supplied general directions for dealing productively with this difficult state of affairs:
      1. Step One - God's church leaders were to be on their guard for such trying events, Acts 20:28a, 31.
        1. Paul's admonition here is to the duly-appointed elders of the Ephesian church, Acts 20:17-18, 28a.
        2. So, instead of assuming that everything would move along well just because they preached God's Word, God's leaders in Bible teaching churches were to anticipate the arrival such opponents!
      2. Step Two - When such troublemakers arose, God's church leaders were to rely on GOD and His written WORD for their own edification so they could edify God's flock through His Word, 28, 32:
        1. In view of the rise of such troublesome ringleaders, Biblical church leaders were to rely on the Lord and His Word for their OWN spiritual edification, Acts 20:32, 28a: (a) Paul warned these Biblically sanctioned elders at Ephesus to take heed to "yourselves" (using the reflexive pronoun heautois, cf. UBS Greek N.T., p. 499 [Acts 20:28]). (b) The sphere of this ministry to one's self involved one's dependence upon God and God's Word of grace, Acts 20:32. Paul detailed such an overseer's spiritually equipping by grace in 2 Tim. 1:1-2:1 to be all the spiritual gifting and equipping instead of one's own carnal power! (d) Summary: thus, the Church elders were to guard themselves from spiritual defeat before insubordinate, apostate and carnal believing ringleaders who would arise up against them. They were to do so by not relying on their own human powers, but instead to lean on God's Spirit, gifting and calling to minister the Word in the face of such ungodly opposition.
        2. Thereupon, God's sanctioned church leaders would be equipped to teach the Word and apply it to God's people in shepherding them to counter in turn the influence of such errant parties, 20:28b.
Lesson: (1) It is a disturbing but TRUE fact that apostate and even carnal believing "grievous wolves" from within churches will seek to gain influence over God's people to gather followers to them. (2) God COUNTERS this move as follows: since errant ringleaders operate outside of GOD'S sanctioned will and power, but in their own or at times via Satan's influence (cf. 2 Tim. 2:24-26), God calls Biblically sanctioned leaders to rely on HIS DIVINE calling, gifting and power so GOD can work THROUGH the godly leaders' ministries HIMSELF to counter errant ringleaders' efforts!

Application: (1) Church leaders must watch that they THEMSELVES do not resort to their OWN efforts, but RELY on GOD'S equipping and Word for all functions. (2) Then, they are to shepherd God's people to follow their example to neutralize the CARNAL efforts of unsanctioned ringleaders!