“Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

“From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. When they arrived, he said to them: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭16‬-‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

A defence and a commission! Did Paul have a premonition that this would be the last time he would have the opportunity to build the truth into the elders of the church in Ephesus? He spoke with great earnestness, assuring them of his integrity, thoroughness, and honesty as he had gone about preaching the message of the kingdom in the city of Ephesus. 

He had suffered at the hands of many enemies in the course of his travels. His had been a life of deprivation and hardship, hard work and tears, victories and disappointments but…he had never given up. He had dared to trust that those who followed him would be as faithful to the Lord Jesus as he had been. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭24‬ ‭NIV‬‬

As painful and difficult as his life has been, for him it had been worthwhile despite what he had endured for the sake of the gospel. He had held one goal in his mind as he traversed the Roman Empire…to be faithful to the Lord to finish his task. 

Now he knew that his journey was coming to an end. 

“And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me… “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭22‬-‭23‬, ‭25‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Paul was resolute. He had no intention of dodging what the Holy Spirit was preparing him for in the near future. Prison… hardship…more suffering. He had known from the beginning that this was part of his calling. He was to stand before kings…men who had the power of life and death over him in their hands. He had experienced the full weight of hell’s fury against those who were loyal to Jesus. He had been stoned to death…hated and pursued from city to city…misunderstood…misrepresented…maligned…and caught up in the perils of travel. 

But, despite all, Paul had kept his goal in mind. His life was not his to pick and choose his fortunes. 

“However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace. Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭24‬, ‭26‬-‭27‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And so…he passed his commission on to faithful leaders…

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. 

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬-‭32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The church of the Lord Jesus, even under the power and direction of the Holy Spirit, was vulnerable to infiltration and deception. Satan’s hostility and  opposition were relentless. He had his representatives…unscrupulous people…who would slither in like serpents to confuse and distract. 

Paul’s confidence that his work was not on vain leant on one conviction alone…Jesus and His word. Paul’s work was conducted in a divine partnership… God and himself together. So, he could confidently leave it to the Holy Spirit to carry on…to entrust to others what he had initiated. 

What was his counsel to these Ephesian elders?

“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood…So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears…

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified…In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭28‬, ‭31‬-‭32‬, ‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Interspersed with repeated warnings, Paul urged these leaders to…

“Be on your guard…keep watch!”

…never forget the danger of deception. “It’s a jungle out there!” They had a charge to guard God’s flock against an enemy that never gave up. 

How important a warning for church leaders today! The war is intensifying as the end draws near. Jesus IS coming soon. 

“Be shepherds of God’s flock.”

God’s flock! God’s people were vulnerable, like sheep, needing constant supervision, protection, oversight…! These elders were tasked with their care. They were accountable to the Chief Shepherd for their faithfulness to their commission. 

“Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified…”

The safeguard of God’s people….  ”the word of His grace…” the boundary fence around their hearts that would protect and secure them in the safety of His promises. 

And a final note…

“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”

‭‭Acts‬ ‭20‬:‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Give…give…give! Serving others is the hallmark of the church. 

With prayer as the final bulwark, Paul left them…a bitter sweet farewell marking his departure…knowing that they would not see each other again in this life but…what about the next? An unspoken but unbreakable bond has been forged that guaranteed an eternal reunion. 

To be continued