MARK HAGENLIVEOAK BIBLE CHURCH

April 19, 2023

Acts 20:17 – 21:16

Acts 20:17-21:16

At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me:

17 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me. 18 When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. …”

- Ezekiel 3:16-19

Acts 20:17-21:16

“Let me just mention one feature to watch out for in the recognition of wolves. As I have watched the movement from biblical faithfulness to liberalism in persons and institutions that I have known over the years, this feature stands out: An emotional disenchantment with faithfulness to what is old and fixed, and an emotional preoccupation with what is new or fashionable or relevant in the eyes of the world … so open to the trends of the day … enamored by what is new and innovative.”

- John Piper, “Watch Out for the Wolves Within”Acts 20:28-31, April 23, 1989

Acts 20:17-21:16

“His ministry came at great cost, not to the sheep, but to himself. He was free from lust for their money or possessions. His ministry did not require money from others, and so he was free from the time-consuming process of raising funds, and from the temptation to misuse them so as to personally gain from his ministry. His ministry was characterized by giving, not by getting.”

- Bob Deffinbaugh, Studies in the Book of Acts, bible.org