Be On Guard

Unlike most of us, Paul knew his time was very short. He knew that he was going to Jerusalem to be imprisoned. So as Paul left Ephesus in Acts 20 to go to Jerusalem, he was clear to the Ephesian elders to be on guard. Paul chose to spend his precious time with precious people to impart important things to them.

These people were the ones who would make a difference when he was gone. He was talking to the elders, specifically in this application. He reminded them, warned them, and then took his leave. It’s striking because he never sees these people again. Acts 20 is a very emotional chapter. It’s much like Elijah and Elisha. It’s much like the upper room discourse, when Jesus talked to the 11, and this was the last thing He said to them on earth.

Paul was going to be clear in his communication. He repeated what he needed to repeat and encouraged them to follow it faithfully. What torch are we leaving behind to those who will follow? 

Your Service Record is Your Real Testimony

This is his farewell. He was in Ephesus for three years. He gathered the elders together. It’s a unique setting because Paul typically was in a synagogue, arguing with Jews, in some conflict, or being shuttled around. We don’t know what the size of the church in Ephesus was at that time, but we know they’d appointed elders by this point. He pulled them aside on the beach and told them some critical things. 

What makes you cry? Not in terms of hurt feelings, but people who are in trouble or hurting don’t know Christ or say they know Christ but live very differently. When was the last time you shed a tear? Paul didn’t talk about all the things he accomplished. He spoke about the fact that he came humbly, with incredible trials and tears, and he tried to teach them faithfully in that setting. 

Your Future Plans Reveal Your Determination And Your Faithfulness

You can write down goals, make a plan, and resolve to do something, but unless you have determination and faith, It’s just words on paper. Paul was driven, but are you driven to finish a good thing? Work, employment, money, careers, and businesses are great, but what’s eternal?

Paul was driven by his determination and faithfulness because he got a call from God. Paul faced an uncertain future with a certain faith. Bound in spirit, he is under compulsion to go. Not knowing what will happen reveals uncertainty. What Paul knew was that a prison cell awaited him, and he would not see his friends again. Paul knew this suffering would lead to his death. 

The thing that kept Paul future-focused was what Christ had called him to do. He knew suffering awaited him, but he didn’t whine about it. Paul was determined with an uncertain future because he did what God required. Knowing you are following the right direction, you continue to forge ahead. Will you be determined and faithful to what God wants you to do? 

Your Charge is to Watch Over Yourself And Those Under Your Care

Acts 20:28 says, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.” 

In Acts 20:28, the primary imperative is to be on guard. Pay attention, keep watch, don’t take your eye off the ball. Why? The Holy Spirit made you an overseer; the flock is precious because Christ purchased it with His blood.

So when an elder is appointed, there is a sense in which that man before God needs to say, “I believe God’s word and God’s Spirit wants me to serve as an elder.” That’s the One who qualifies them. 

Acts 20:29-31 explains Paul’s concern: “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore, be on the alert, remembering that night and day for three years, I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.” 

In v. 30, when he says, ‘and from your own selves,’ he refers to elders. That’s why the exhortation in v. 28 is to be on guard for yourselves and all the flock. Paul explains our only security from danger is God and the Word of His Grace. Paul was leaving; he would no longer be there to help. He knew that God and His Word build up and give an inheritance. Grace that is needed for the pilgrim’s journey is amply supplied in His word.

Elders Are to Feed The Flock, Watch For Dangers, and Avoid Greed

Throughout church history, it’s always the same broken records. The elders are to feed the flock. Feed is a big word, and it doesn’t just mean standing up, flapping your jaw, and telling somebody something.

Feeding is far more than just teaching or telling. When you’re in a small group and know people up close and personal, you learn more about them. You can learn more by doing a service project with a small group for a day than in a year with the same people. You learn a lot about people when you’re with them. Leaders can’t shepherd from a distance. 

Church Leaders Must Plan The Future in Uncertain Times, Even When it’s Dangerous

Paul’s leaving Ephesus to go to jail and ultimately die, and he’s talking to the elders that way. Nothing has changed. We’re a post-Christian culture. How are you going to maintain your faith? How are you going to stand strong? If we don’t train our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren to follow Jesus Christ as best we can, It’s over. 

Many have observed that we’re one generation away from atheism and apostasy. Mature older men and women still have to pursue younger men and women. Don’t tell your grandchildren what to do, how to live, or how to believe. Ask and listen. Paul’s farewell speech offers an expectation for that generation and every generation. How do you pick up the torch? How do you hand it off?

Do You Care?

The final question is simple: do you care? Elders, that’s your job. Did you care about one another? When we enter the next decade of a godless culture, will you stand? Will you be firm? Will you be on guard? And will you stay alert? Savage wolves are coming in.

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