The Care Administered To The Church

Minister:
Date: AM (New Year's Day)
Text: Acts 20:28
Psalters: 132, 342, 126, 242
Installation of Elders and Deacons
  1. Those who are to be cared for are called ?the flock? and the ?church of God.?
    1. Church means ?called out ones? and refers here to the local congregation of Christians at Ephesus.
      1. Identified as ?the flock? the Christians are looked at as sheep.
      2. They are considered as an organic whole (singular nouns) made up of many different parts.
    2. Further, the church and flock is that ?which He hath purchased with His own blood.? This is its great value.
      1. ?Purchased? is the act of God obtaining the body of the elect for Himself. Two implications:
      2. The price God Himself paid was ?His own blood.?
  2. The care to be administered to the church and flock of God.
    1. First, ?feed? is to tend a flock, to keep sheep, to rule or govern them.
      1. The calling of elders is to shepherd, tend to by nourishing, cherishing, and protecting.
      2. It means to guard their souls in safety.
      3. This requires that the sheep be led in the right way so they are nourished.
    2. Second, ?take heed? is to turn the mind to be attentive to, to devote attention and effort to someone.
      1. This is a constant vigilance, almost sleepless alertness.
      2. Only love for God and Jesus will give us to such loving attention for the flock.
  3. By whom is this care to be administered:
    1. The Head of the church appoints ?elders? (17), i.e., presbyters, seniors in rank.
    2. ?Overseers? (episcopos).
      1. They are charged with the duty of seeing that things to be done by others are done rightly.
      2. Our text points out that they are made to be overseers by the appointment of the Holy Spirit.
    3. This implies the sacredness and the responsibility of the offices.