Day 274: Acts 20:25–31

“Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock . . .” (v. 28a).

Believing he would never see the Ephesians again, Paul had an urgency to share with them an admonition. He warned the Ephesian elders about the vulnerability of the young church. He told them to expect savage wolves to try to devour the flock. Paul considered the warning so vital, he repeated it over and over during the three years he was among them.

Don’t miss an important part of his admonition. In verse 28, Paul named two groups the elders were to keep watch over: themselves and the flock God had given them. What an important message Paul’s words send to us! We can hardly keep watch over a group if we don’t keep watch over ourselves! The Greek term for “keep watch” is prosecho. “As a nautical term, it means to hold a ship in a direction, to sail towards . . . to hold on one’s course toward a place.” Many leaders have seasons when their lives seem temporarily out of control. Most people who have served God for decades have had a season in which they got off course. Those who never depart from the course in many years of service deserve our highest commendations, but they are rare.

I do not believe a leader who temporarily veers away from the course should never be allowed to lead again. I can’t find a biblical precedent for such thinking. On the other hand, we are wise leaders to step out of leadership when we are having a difficult time staying on the course. We simply cannot lead others to a place to which we are not steering our own lives. Yes, leaders must watch over their own lives very carefully, but Paul also told them they must act like shepherds keeping watch over their flocks.

We don’t have to be church elders for these words and warnings to apply to us. If God has assigned you a flock, you have a serious responsibility to keep a close watch over your own life and to care deeply for theirs. A crucial part of keeping watch over our flocks is knowing the Word of God! In verse 30, Paul warned that “men will arise and distort the truth.” The word “distort” denotes an action of twisting or turning. Satan is a master at twisting and turning the Word of God. He’s been honing his twisting skills since his first successful attempt in the Garden of Eden. He subtly twists the Word in hope that we won’t realize we’ve been misled until after he wreaks havoc. Paul had very little time to address the Ephesian elders, yet the warning to watch over themselves and their flocks was an absolute priority. Paul shared one last element with the Ephesians, which we will see tomorrow. He shared his sincere affection for them.