Day 22 - Love In The Church
- Pastor b.Side
- Feb 22
- 3 min read
“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” - Acts 20:28
The Bible teaches that the function and authority of the church is to provide a public testimony of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. When the Apostle Paul bid farewell to his fellow servants in Ephesus, he made this incredible statement in Acts 20:28, which explains God’s workflow and purpose for His church. We must grasp these truths about God’s identity and purpose to know and experience His blessings for His church. This is why Paul began this section of scripture by saying, “Take heed.” We need to pay attention!
“Among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…”
When Paul spoke, he was addressing the church leaders in Ephesus. He wrote that the Holy Spirit made those men overseers. The Spirit of God appointed these leaders to shepherd the congregation, attending to their nourishment, guidance, and protection as part of “the flock.” They were supposed to feed the people of God with the bread of life – the Word of God. They were to guide the people of God by being examples to follow: dying to “self” to live by the convictions and leadership of the Spirit in accordance with the standards and example of Jesus Christ. They were to protect the people of God by ensuring the integrity of the Word within the congregation, shielding them from false doctrines and other spiritually centered dangers.
“To shepherd the church of God…”
The church’s focus should be centered on the spiritual and eternal integrity of the people because it is God’s church. God purchased the church with His own blood. Jesus is the One who died. He is God. Paul spoke similarly in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 when he wrote that the physical body of any true Christian doesn’t belong to them. Our lives are not our own. The true Christian belongs to God because we were bought at a price. The blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ was the currency used to purchase the souls of His people that make up “the church.” We’re His now. We serve His purposes, His ways.
“Which He purchased with His own blood…”
Notice how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are deeply involved in the existence and function of the true church. The Father declared His intentions to save souls. Jesus fulfilled that work. The Holy Spirit makes salvation fruitful for God’s glory. God indeed appointed certain men to manage the true church. However, scripture clearly shows that the church belongs to God! He paid the highest price possible to redeem the souls of those who make up His church. God loved the world by sending His Son to save us from sin, death, and hell so that we could serve His eternal and spiritual purposes. He didn’t love us that way so that we could lord over the lives of others by our standards or pursue selfish ambitions. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit should be deeply involved in the lives of those called to serve His people.
Prayer for today
Our heavenly Father, thank You for showing us how You work in us, through us, and for us. We acknowledge that the standards of Your workflow are clear. We admit that Your intentions are rooted in Your eternal and spiritual perspective. Help us to serve in the capacity You’ve called us to, in line with that perspective and Your standards, so that You may be glorified in Jesus’ name. Amen.
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