8 Apr 2017, Acts 使徒行传 20:1-16, A Glimpse into the Heart of a Pastor 瞥视牧者的心

Posted on Mar 25, 2017 in Acts, Devotions |

Scripture Reading        : Acts 20:1-16

Theme                            : A Glimpse into the Heart of a Pastor

 

  1. The spiritual need of the church. As Paul travelled throughout Macedonia, he spent much time preaching and encouraging the believers. At Troas, Paul continued to preach late into the night, because he was going to leave the next day. Instead of resting, his concern for the spiritual need of the church compelled him to preach until the morning (20:11).
  1. The physical need of the church. The author of Acts (Luke the Physician) did not give details of the reason Paul travelled through this region, because Luke wanted to show the spread of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, but we can reconstruct the scenario from Paul’s epistles. There was a famine in Jerusalem (Acts 11:27-30), and Paul went to the Gentile churches throughout the region to collect monetary gifts to help the church in Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27; 1 Cor. 16:1-4). Paul was concerned for the physical need of the church, and went to different churches that he established to collect offerings. The different names mentioned in 20:4 were representatives from the churches that contributed to the offering.
  1. The overall health of the church. Even as Paul was hurrying to Jerusalem, he still had the church of Ephesus in mind. After leaving Ephesus, on his way to Jerusalem, Paul would stop over at Miletus, where he would send for the elders of the church in Ephesus (20:17), in order to teach, warn and encourage them once more before he left.

 

Praying the Scripture

  1. Just like Paul, many godly pastors labour day and night because they are concerned for the spiritual need of the church. Pray for our pastor, that he will have the strength to continue the work that God has given to him.
  1. Pray that we will be generous in our giving, so that our own local church will not be in need of resources. Pray also that we will not be inward-looking, but share our resources with other like-minded churches that are in need.
  1. The pastor’s responsibility is not only to preach God’s Word, but also to counsel believers. Pray that believers in our local church will respond positively to our pastor’s counselling, so that the overall health of the church will be good.
 
 
 

经文：使徒行传20:1-16

主题：瞥视牧者的心

 

  1. 教会的属灵需要。保罗走遍马其顿的时候，他花很多时间传道及建立信徒。在特罗亚，保罗继续传道，直到深夜，因为他隔日将离开。因此，与其休息，他对教会的属灵需要的关切促使他不断讲道，直至天亮（20:11）。
  1. 教会的物质需要。使徒行传的作者（路加医生）并没有给予保罗在这地域行游的详细原因，因为路加想凸显的是福音如何从耶路撒冷传到罗马，但我们从保罗的书信内容能重建那情景。当时，耶路撒冷有饥荒（使11:27-30），而保罗游遍这地域的外邦教会为的是收集金钱上的奉献，以便帮助耶路撒冷的教会（罗15:25-27；林前16:1-4）。保罗关注教会的物质需要，并到自己所建立的各教会收集奉献。第四节所列之名是贡献奉献之教会的代表。
  1. 教会的整体健康。保罗即便是赶着到耶路撒冷去，他心里仍挂念以弗所教会。在离开以弗所往耶路撒冷途中，保罗在米利都逗留一会儿，并叫以弗所教会的长老们来，在他离开之前教导、告诫并鼓励他们。

 
用经文祷告

  1. 如保罗一样，许多敬虔的牧师日夜劳苦，是因为他们关注教会的属灵需要。请为我们的牧师祷告，叫他能有力量继续行神所赐予他的工作。
  1. 祈求我们能慷慨奉献，叫我们自己的地方教会不会欠缺资源。也祈求我们不会只看自己，而是与其他志同道合又有需要的教会分享我们的资源。
  1. 牧师的责任并不仅是传神的道，还要辅导信徒。祈求我们教会的信徒能正面地回应我们牧师的辅导，使教会的整体健康能够健全。