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Stone

Creek

www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

9-26-2012

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Ephesian church elders

Counsel for the future

of the church.

Acts 20Paul is headed

home.

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Acts 20:25 And now, behold, I know that ye all, among

whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of

God, shall see my face no more. 26 Wherefore I

take you to record this day, that I am pure from the

blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to

declare unto you all the Counsel of God.

Paul would not be back to this area

to see them as a group again.

But he knew that he had told them everything that

God had given him to tell them.

No one's blood would be required at his hands.

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28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all

the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath

made you overseers, to feed the church of God,

which He hath purchased with His Own Blood.

This is the chief responsibility of a pastor:

To guard and protect his flock from false doctrine;

And to feed them the True Word of God.

A pastor can't take care of his people

until he has his own life in order.

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29 For I know this, that after my departing shall

grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing

the flock.

Wolves from without

False Teachers

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30 Also of your own selves shall men

arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away

disciples after them.

Wolves from within

Perverting the Grace of God.

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John 10 10 The thief cometh not, but for to

steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that

they might have life, and that they might have it

more abundantly. 11 I am the good shepherd: the

good shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

12 But he that is an hireling, and not the

shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the

wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and

the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. 13

The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and

careth not for the sheep.

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God's men must never have the

mindset of a hireling.

Jesus is the Good

Shepherd.

Pastors and church

leaders are His under-

shepherds.

We must never be negligent in protecting and

feeding the sheep -- the congregation.

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28b the church of God, which He hath purchased

with His Own Blood.

God purchased His church with His Own Blood.

We are precious in His Sight.

Don't ever put yourself or another Christian down.

God paid a great price for us.

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31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the

space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone

night and day with tears.

Church leaders need to always stay awake and

vigilant against the snares of the devil;

he is determined to destroy congregations.

And we must rehearse, being mindful of the Word

of God which we have to enable us live well.

Not just exist

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And we must always preach and

teach God's Word

So that our congregation will be

able to stand strong.

knowing

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But a Christian must want to stand.

Greatest desire

We must love God with

our whole

heart, mind, soul, and

strength,And love one another

with an intensity that

surpasses all else.

That's the mindset of a dynamic assembly of

the children of the Most High God.