LBS Notes 11/24/20

Andrew Wommack and Carrie Pickett

The Word of God Is What You Need

Andrew: Paul called all the leaders and pastors of the churches in Ephesus together to Miletus
and spoke to them, giving them his last farewell. He knew it would be his last time with
them. And he said:

“And when they were come to him, he said unto them, Ye know, from the first day that I came
into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all seasons,” —Acts 20:18
• In other words, Paul was saying from the first day through all three years he was with
them that he had been the same.
• They didn’t see him up and down like a yoyo.

“Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell
me by the lying in wait of the Jews:” —Acts 20:19
• Throughout Acts, there’s no account of the Jews coming against him.
• It was the Gentiles who were recorded as coming against him.
• So we know from this verse that there was more persecution against him than was
recorded.

“And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have
taught you publickly, and from house to house,” —Acts 20:20
• The Word deals with every issue that comes against us. Ninety percent of pastors
believe this (Barna survey). It should be one hundred percent, but it’s not.
• Of that ninety percent, only ten percent teach on those issues.
• Paul said he didn’t keep anything back from them.
• Pastors have an opinion on all those issues, but they don’t teach on them because
they’re afraid they will lose people.
• That’s a hireling, not a true shepherd.
• That’s why we’re in the mess we’re in.
• The reason we are seeing all the rioting and looting and things is because there is no
fear of God in our society today.
• That’s the responsibility of the pastors.

“Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward
our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing
the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying
that bonds and afflictions abide me.” —Acts 20:21-22
• “Bound in the spirit” just means led by the spirit, and it does not say that it’s the Holy
Spirit, so I’m not sure Paul even followed the Lord on this. (I’m not a hundred percent
 sure on this, so I’m not ready to say, “Thus saith the Lord,” but these are my thoughts
on this.)
• Paul had received two prophecies that told him not to go to Jerusalem, and yet he did.
• Fear of punishment or death was not a deterrent to Paul. He knew the terrible things
that would happen to him there, and yet he said:

“But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify
the gospel of the grace of God.” —Acts 20:24
• This is one of the things that made Paul so different from most of us.
• His life wasn’t dear to him.
• If you put this together with Philippians 1, where he said to live is Christ, but to die is
gain. And he had a hard time deciding whether he wanted to go and be with the Lord
or to stay on Earth for their benefit.
• Jesus came to set everyone free who was in bondage because of fear of death (Heb.
2:15).
• And the fear of man brings a snare (Prov. 29).
• If you’re afraid of people and what they can do to you, you’re not going to operate in
faith.

“How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that
cometh from God only?” —John 5:44
• If you’re a people pleaser and you’re worried about what they can do to you, it will
hinder your faith because you’ll always be concerned about what they’re going to
think.
• God is going the opposite of culture, and you just cannot be worried about what
people think of you!
• If you are afraid of death and what people think, you won’t finish your course with joy.
• This passage and Galatians 1 use “gospel” and “grace” interchangeably.
• “Turn or burn” and “repent or you’ll go to hell” some call the gospel. It is the truth,
but it’s not the gospel.
• “Gospel” means “good news.” There’s no good news in all of that.
• The gospel is: even though we’ve sinned and come short of the glory of God and
deserve to go to hell, Jesus came and took all our punishment upon Himself.
• If you’re preaching the bad news—that God is angry—you’re not going to finish your
course with joy.

“And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God,
shall see my face no more.” —Acts 20:25
• Paul knew by the Spirit that he would never come back this way.
“Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.” —Acts 20:26
• This goes back to Ezekiel 33: that if a watchman sees the enemy coming and warns the
people, if they don’t heed his warning, their blood is on their own hands. But if the
watchman sees the enemy coming and doesn’t warn the people and they get killed,
their blood is on his hands.
• Paul had warned the people, told them the Word of God, and kept nothing from them.
So his hands were clean.

“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.”
—Acts 20:28
• The way you guide people is by feeding them the Word of God.

“For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing
the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away
disciples after them.” —Acts 20:29-30
• This is sad to me. He had spent three years with them, and here he is talking to the
leaders, saying wolves will come in from the outside and take some of the people he
had ministered to.
• But he said also that within his own leaders, some would draw people away just
because they wanted to have a following.
• This is at the root of all things: leaders pointing people to themselves instead of to
God.
• Paul said he served them in humility. He pointed them to the Lord.
• But Paul knew human nature, and he knew once he was gone, some of his own leaders
would draw people after themselves.
• It would make some discouraged to know that, but Paul said:

“And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build
you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.” —Acts 20:32
• If you had spent three years establishing a church and you knew it would be your last
time to speak to them, what would you do?
• Many would try to put government in place—rules and regulations.
• But Paul commended them to God and the Word of His grace, which is able to build
you up and give you an inheritance.
The Lord just showed me out of all this that I can’t hold myself responsible for everyone at
this ministry—to keep them well and keep them from doing things. My job is to commend to
them the Word of God, which is able to build them up, heal them, bring them prosperity, etc.
This is what a minister is supposed to be doing—teaching people the Word, not drawing them
unto himself.
I’m not angry about it, but I am disappointed that one of the things the Church has done is
draw attention to the people—the ministers. We put people on pedestals and depend too
much on the five-fold ministry gifts. The Word of God is alive, and it has the power to change
your life independent of anyone.
Instead of drawing everyone to me, we are trying to empower people to go out and share the
Word. It’s the Word that sets people free!