How to Approach to Endometrial Cancer from Community Oncology Perspective

(upbeat music) - You're listening to the unsafe Bible with Pastor Ken Brown. (upbeat music) - Here's the deal. All of us as believers are shepherds and sheep. At the same time, parents, you shepherds your family. Sunday school teacher, group leader, worship team member, you're shepherding chunks of the flock. On behalf of the king, at one time or another. In the pastor and the pastors, or everybody who's staff, yes, they're shepherds. They have a huge responsibility, but all of us exercising our spirits of gifts together as we do life makes church happen. And we're shepherding each out there. (upbeat music) It would be strange if a basketball coach didn't just coach the team, but also played during a game with his players. You would question what was happening and if the coach was guiding his team. In today's message, Pastor Ken says, "You are both a shepherd and a sheep in the kingdom of God. "You shepherd those around you to be more like Jesus, "but you also live under God's authority "and need guidance from him every day. "It's a strange dichotomy, "but it makes sense in the kingdom of God." Well, let's join Pastor Ken in the book of First Thessalonians chapter two as he continues his message, how Paul and the team does ministry. - Verse five, "We never came with flattering speech "as you know, nor with a pretext for greed. "God is our witness. "Nor did we seek honor from people, "either from you or from others, "though we could have asserted our authority "as apostles of Christ." Paul and the team told them of their need of salvation. This means they were told they were sinners that Jesus had died for. How do I know that? Paul tells us, that's his message in 1 Corinthians 15. He says, "Christ died for our sins, "just as the scripture said, verses one to five, "he gives us what the gospel is, that's the key point. "He's telling people that they're sinners, "and if you're telling someone you're a sinner, "you're telling somebody something they don't want to hear. "It's not a popular message these days. "Being told that you're a sinner is not flattering. "At all." Plutarch talked about flattery, and when he talked about it, he says, there's two sides to this. You have the love for the honorable power of reason, and then the other side is falsehood, and it's emotional. He said, "A good friend will come in, "and they'll come alongside, and they'll try and help you, "and encourage you." Whereas a flatterer takes his place on the side of the emotional, irrational person, and he wants to tickle and weedle, and try and divorce you from reasoning power so they can get something from you. Genuine compliments are not flattery. Affirmation builds up the one you're talking to. I mean, it's always important for us to affirm someone, to encourage them in the faith, to encourage them in what they're doing, because they need to hear it. Jude diagnosed it for us, but flattery though is manipulation, it just is. Paul is saying that this is not how they operated. Sales people may flatter buyers, but when the goods for sale are religious, they can be misleading, because flattery will ruin souls. Those are called false teachers. I worked in an area called governmental affairs, which meant we were working with folks who were legislated towards elected officials. I was not good at that because I would not scratch their ego. I would not flatter them. If they asked me a question, I told them the truth. They hid me in a closet and only brought me out if necessary, because I would not do that. And in fact, I was asked why won't you do that? I said, "That's lying, I'm not gonna do it, and I'm not gonna flatter somebody." I'll tell you what the truth is, and I got known for that in the circles that I worked in. If Ken tells you this is what it is, this is what it is. Jude 16, these people are grumblers and complainers. This is what flatterers are like, and false teachers are like. Living only to satisfy their desires. They brag loudly about themselves, and they flatter others to get what they want. I've seen ministries that do that. I'm sure we've all heard others say that, where it's always about them, all the time, always about them. Yes, there were Gentiles who were saved because of the work of Paul and the team in the short time that they were there. And yes, it was not due to flattery. Some of them were high station people in life. We know that, but that's not the goal of the ministry. They did not have a strategy team meeting before going into Thessalonica, where Paul, Silas and Timothy, strategized what they would need to do to get some more large donors on board. What can we do to make salvation attractive so we can get those rich people saved? Well, at least following us. They didn't do that, but that does happen in some cases today, usually over a chicken dinner. You'll talk about that, trolling for pledges. I mean, I remember when we were here at Calvary, Jupiter, and getting ready to move into a new building, getting ready to start building it, there were those who were encouraging the leadership to start working the flock to start collecting pledges by having meals. And when I heard that, I said, nope, we're not doing that. Nobody else did either. We said, we're gonna trust Jesus for this. He'll take care of it. He did. He absolutely so care of it. But that's what the world wants to do. They'll troll for pledges, get people to get on board with what you're doing. They also didn't insist that their position should be observed and their authority be noticed. They were apostles, Paul and Silas and Timothy. They were all apostles. And they didn't insist on that. They just came, we're here to teach you God's word. That's it. Now, today, though, and I don't know if you've seen the bill boards occasionally, but it's popular to announce a star power traveling ministry speaker who's coming to town, by the way, they want your money, that's all they want. The section of how to donate to them is bigger than what they're gonna talk about. The invitation, though, comes and it announces the power they're going to exhibit the meeting and the apostolic authority that they're going to exhibit as they do ministry. Yes, we have people who say that today. You wonder, where did they get the title? I do. Where did you get that from? Who gave you that title? We don't know, but if you sign up for their podcast in their ministry and donate a certain dollar amount per month, you're gonna get on the inside track for a blessing. You'll receive a link to a special website where I'll pray for you each week and I'll make sure you have the link for that. Oh, and by the way, I'll do a special Zoom call for you once a month where I'll give you the straights, Kenny, and what's going on. This is real. This is what's really going on. I have been counseled to do some of that. And notice I don't have a website with a Zoom or not doing that. They also do a thing called love bombing. What that is is that as soon as you sign up for their mailing list, you'll never get off it. You will be getting emails and letters at least every two weeks, how much they love you, how much they desire to serve you, just give $10 here or don't get me wrong. There are some great ministries that use the same companies unfortunately. And that's the problem. There are great ministries that do that. I wish they wouldn't, but some of them do. All we have to do though, to make sure if we're involved with something like that, or we start seeing things that are kind of weird, just act 17-11, everyone, you know, that's be a barren. Listen to what they say. Listen to what I say. Check it out what the Scripture says and see whether or not it's true. Do that to me too, okay? Yeah, because I try real hard to tell you the truth, but act 17-11 is applicable to all of us who teach these days. These angelic cult believers have their cult heroes and cult followings. I remember running into a guy when I first showed up in Lubbock, Texas, who loved listening to John MacArthur and I've never seen anybody who had every single tape a man ever made. This guy did. He had a whole wall covering it. He could tell me exactly what he was doing. I'm going like, isn't that a little bit extreme? He was a groupie. He was a Christian rock star. I'm sitting there going like, I'm an intern with Josh McBowl. What's this all about? It was kind of weird. They're given infallible status. They have devoted fans. And if they're not careful, they begin to believe what other people say about them and other superstars. Now have we had that in Calvary Chappell's? Yeah, we have. We kind of got over it though when a couple of them fell due to moral problems or bullying problems. When a star goes down in flames of infidelity, it kind of all of a sudden weighed them in it. We went a little too far here. But there are those who even walk around today and believe that they're entitled to everything because after all, look at the ministry they have. But we're doing it for Jesus. That's the thing. We're doing this all for Jesus. Paul's making it clear. He did not operate that way. In other words, it was pure in its content and its intent. That's what he was doing. My ministry is pure in content and intent. I just want to reach people for Jesus. It's pure in the sense there's no end to seat. There's no error. There's no uncleanliness. There's no impurity of motive. He's outlined for us those things he did not do. The accusations are all false. He loved the flock that the Lord gave him there in Thessalonica. He has the heart of a pastor. Lobs of the sh*t. We proved to be gentle among you, verse 7. As a nursing mother, tenderly cares for our own children. In the same way, we had a fond affection for you. And we're delighted to share with you not only the Gospel of God, but also our own lives because you'd become very dear to us. Paul knows what Jesus would said would be a defining character as to the believers, love one another. He knew that. And here Paul tells them he loves them. We already know his level of success because as we learn in 1 Thessalonians 1, 3, the unconditional love of a Thessalonians was well known throughout the region. It was evident and other people knew it. This congregation had been given to him by the Lord. And he took it seriously. From the team's ministry, people were saved. And he tells us that from his perspective, the relationship is the same as a mother and a nursing child, because he was trying to help them to grow. Being in ministry for Paul and Silas and Timothy was personal. They were not simply doing a job for pay. I mean, sharing the Gospel was not a one-time thing for them. It included discipleship, it included ongoing commitment. It meant long hours. It was doing life together and helping people grow in the Lord. That's what they were doing. But that's becoming a rare thing in churches today. A lot of folks are now seeing that they need a more of a work-life balance and you're seeing some churches where they don't do anything in terms of discipleship. Some church staff actually think that they're in a job and not a ministry. And then the problem is, is when you have a staffer who thinks that, then those who are in the flock, some of them will copy that. And you'll have teachers and group leaders and worship leaders. And others suffering the same issue as a result. They're just simply copying what's modeled for them. Now, and some of them will think this is how it is in the church. To survive in the church today, you have to treat it like a business and there are some who do that. I remember years ago as a college group leader in Lubbock having to deal with a minister that in the church I was in, who had that mindset. We're talking the dim reaches of history before there was internet, cell phones, everything we have today. We didn't have that. I needed clarification on a point and this guy was not available except during office hours. Because I didn't want to say something that he wouldn't support me, huh? I had never worked in a denominational environment before. This was a Southern Baptist church. I didn't know what they, you know, if you said something bad about one of their seminaries and I was going to say something bad about one of their seminaries, I still would and I just didn't want to get in trouble about it. I wanted to be politically correct. But it was after hours I called the guy left a voice message on his answering machine but he never returned phone calls. Ever. So I went forward with what I knew and, I mean, at the time I was working, I was in grad school and I said something that was politically incorrect. And it was simple. This guy was on paid staff. He acted like an employee, not like a servant. He literally demanded that I observe his office hours. But I worked. Well, too bad. Don't call me at home. I won't talk to you. I'm an employee. I'm not a shepherd. That's the way he acted. Well, he chewed me out for having done that. I had a class with about 250 college kids in it. I finished that semester because it was a one semester class and I no longer served in that church. In fact, I didn't serve again for about another two or three years because that's the way it is here. I don't want any part of it. The problem is, as soon the entire body begins to reflect the same thing. He had a huge turnover of teachers that, you know, he couldn't keep anybody to want to work with him for more than one or two semesters. That's why. If you don't have anybody talk to you, you need help. You're still trying to figure it out yourself. Love is now an obligation, not a hired hand. Love is part of the deal. But it's not the way they do it. I only love on Sunday in midweek when I have to. The rest of the week I won't. You can't do that. Not as a believer. Well, you know, everyone looks good, but good and dead. It's called the lay of the sea in church, okay? You can look at it for yourself. It's Revelation chapter three, verses 15 to 21. It outlines exactly what the conduct of that church is. Here's the deal. In the pastor and the pastors or everybody who's staff, yes, they're shepherds. They have a huge responsibility, but all of us exercising our spirits of gifts together, as we do life, makes church happen. And we're shepherding each other. It's not a one person thing. John chapter 10, verses 11 to 13, Jesus talking. He says, "I'm the good shepherd." The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who's not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sieves the wolf coming, leaves the sheep and runs away. And the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. And that is becoming a problem in the church. It's actually showing up in surveys now too. Varna is actually reporting on it. Paul and the team love the sheep. They've invested in their well-being. They're concerned about the sheep. And yes, that does exist in churches today. There are places where there are people concerned about those in the flock. They're concerned about whether people are growing. If somebody doesn't show up two weeks, what's going on? Are you okay? Is everything all right? There are still places where the word is taught. The sheep are fed and the sheep are loved and are healthy and growing and replicating because, guess what, healthy sheep bring in healthy sheep. They talk to other people and they become sheep too. Now this does not mean that the way that the team operated was like a bunch of amateurs. They went against the grain intentionally for traveling speakers and it was purposeful. Their goals were not the same as the world. They were not there to develop paying customers. They were intent on making disciples, not feeding the bottom line of a new school that they are going to establish. They wanted to see new followers of Jesus Christ. They were not in it to establish new followers of the Apostle Paul and Silas tent meeting miracle healing ministry. Of course, they build their own tent too. What they did was their level best possible in excellence for King Jesus. And that's what we do too. All of us, we do our level best for Jesus. Here's the thing. Ministries messy. You notice that? All of us are fallen. We all make mistakes. Paul knew that. He also knew that sheep are smelly and sheep like to run off and do their own thing from time to time. But he also knew they needed loving, continual care in that as he was called to be a shepherd, that's what he intended to give. The problem we see in some churches today is they're not leading the sheep. They're driving the sheep and they're driving the sheep to places that the sheep don't need to be. And it may not be the best pasture for them. You don't care for sheep by making unreasonable demands for them because it's to your convenience. I've never seen a shepherd and I've seen a few of them. I've never seen a shepherd say, wait a minute, I don't want to cross this freeway here. I want to cross it over there. And the sheep are saying, but you walked across here, we're following you. Walk across right there. And they do that. And then the shepherd comes up to the front of my car and goes, I'm sorry, I'm just enjoying watching the sheep and watching the shepherd operate in the dog. Oh man, that dog was really something. By the way, sheep have no concept of office hours. Have you ever noticed that? People like to eat whenever they want to eat, sheep want to talk whenever they want to talk. And if it's freezing cold outside, they don't know. You've got to have to lead them into the barn. And when they're young, sheep need a lot of care, almost 24/7 level. They have to have it, be able to mature. And Paul knew that. And it just hurt him to have to leave after only three weeks. He had a lot of young, brand new believers. And he had fed into their lives as much as he could in three weeks. But he had to leave. The whole team had to leave because they were being threatened. So here's the question, how dedicated was the team to the mission? What does it mean to minister with Paul? Well, that means long hours and make intense. Verses 9-12, for you recall, brothers and sisters, our labor and hardship, it was by working night and day so as not to be a burden to any of you, that we proclaim to you the gospel of God. In other words, ministering with Paul is not a nine to five deal. It was a lifestyle. Your witnesses, so as God, of how devoutly and rightly and blamelessly we behave towards you believers, just as you know how we were exhorting and encouraging and imploring each of you as a father with his own children so that you'd walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his own kingdom and glory. Paul reminds them that he and the team had worked hard to tell him about Jesus. They all had second jobs. They were We're trying to get the right answer. to pay for the ministry as well as for their own support. He uses the term labor and hardship. It's not just hard work, but the fatigue and the pain associated with it. He's talking about your working class guys who understand that he was doing the same thing. In fact, he was sharing while he was working. He's working on the tent and he's sharing Christ with people while he's working in the tent. We know the Philippian church did give some money to help them with it, but they still worked. OBSR, they're doing ministry while working. They're in the workplace, they're in the forum, they're working with other people who are also doing different, they're different jobs. People would come by to see what they're selling and while they're talking to them about what they could buy this tent, let me tell you about Jesus and they would do that. And that's how they reached a lot of folks. There's evidence that this was permitted by philosophers who were going from door to door like they were doing. So Paul, Silas and Timothy likely proclaimed the gospel and engaged in discussions with people while working with leather, because that's what you made tents out of them, was leather. And yet the demands met they had to begin work before dawn and they worked probably until late. We know based on one of Paul's sermons that he liked to talk a whole lot to the point that one kid falls out of the second floor window and dies. Paul raises him from the dead, brings him back upstairs and he keeps teaching. Wow. John 1334, a new commandment I give to you that you'll love one another just as I loved you, love one another. Paul, Silas and Timothy were motivated by a gope love. Yet for the sake of the gospel of God and out of love for the Thessalonians, they did whatever they had to do to reach them. A lot of people in ministry today forget that. They forget the example of Paul. Church is not a nine to five job. Ministry is not a nine to five job. It never has been. I'm not advocating anything like the hours I used to work in business when I started an insurance company in Texas. 60 hour work weeks are not healthy for anybody. Don't do that. But I've also seen churches where they work 35 hours a week. That's not healthy for the sheep because they tend to want to talk to people at funny hours. I've got folks who email me at seven o'clock in the morning and expect or text me at seven and expect an answer by seven thirty. And I try to do that. The ministry of the church is done by everybody in the body. All of us, not just the pastor or other members. If the church can have support staff, it's not just done by them either. Paul and the team are motivated by love for Jesus and the flock that he had given them. And the hours didn't matter because to them it didn't seem like work. They were loving them. They were loving them the Lord. And if it took 12 hours a day to do it, fine. No problem. They loved the Lord. They loved what they were doing. So in light of the charges, Paul asks the Thessalonians, just remember how he and the team acted while they were there. Here's the implication. They trained and instructed the Thessalonians like a father disciplines his children. That's how they did it. As new believers, they were subject to the love of Christ and they were also loving his servants and Paul and the team were loving them. They're all brothers and sisters and Paul now knows that and the team's spiritual children, well they wanted to see them grow up and they wanted to see them become mature in Christ. So this is discipleship. This is what they're doing. They're getting ready to do life with these folks for an extended period of time and they were only able to do it for three weeks. His heart is still there because he wasn't able to be there. The goal of our discipling others is the same as Paul. We want to help people walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you in his own kingdom and glory, just like Paul said. That's what we do. And that gets us through verse 12. It's the God-morph chapter 2 to go. But chapter 2 is all about relationship. You've got relationship with God. You have relationship with other believers and you have relationship with unbelievers. You're listening to Pastor Ken Brown here on the unsafe Bible. Pastor Ken is coming to you from Calvary Chapel Martin County in Hope Sound, Florida. Today's message is part of a series Pastor Ken is leading us through on the book of First Thessalonians. The Apostle Paul reminds us in this book that the way of Jesus goes against the logic of this world and people will push back against the church because of that contradiction. But Paul isn't worried about the Thessalonian church's faithfulness because he's already seen them with stand persecution. At the end of this book, he reminds his readers to allow God's presence to permeate into every corner of their lives so that they can stand strong and tall against the enemy's attacks. We're glad you took the time today to join us for this teaching from Pastor Ken. We know that these words you've just heard are impactful for every believer, no matter where you are in life. If you'd like to hear more from Pastor Ken's study on First Thessalonians or on any other part of the Bible, you can visit us online at the unsafebibel.com and click on the media tab to access our sermon archive. If you're near Hope Sound, Florida, we'd also like to invite you to join us for our in-person gatherings. While the convenience of hearing God's word over the radio waves is valuable, it cannot replace the fellowship that comes with in-person worship. Our website will have all the details you need to make your visiting plan. Pastor Ken will be back soon to continue sharing from God's word. So join us next time on the unsafebibel.