When Paul called the Ephesian elders together at Miletus, his object was to impart to them some final words of instruction by which they might be enabled to serve God and his people in their generation. Paul's words of instruction on that momentous occasion have been preserved for us in this chapter so that we too might know how to serve our God and Savior, his church, and his interests in our generation. If we would do so, there are certain things to which we must "take heed", knowing that satan will constantly attempt to draw us away from Christ by drawing us away from our responsibilities in this world. In particular, the apostle, speaking by inspiration of God the Holy Spirit, tells us that there are three things to which we must "take heed": the ministry of the gospel, the church of God, and the words of the Lord Jesus.

THE MINISTRY OF THE GOSPEL (vv. 26-31) - Certainly, Paul's primary object here is the instruction of elders, pastors and teachers, regarding their responsibilities as God's servants. Every God called preacher must "take heed to the ministry which (he) has received in the Lord" to fulfil it (Col. 4:17; I Tim. 4:12-16). However, it is also the responsibility of God's people to know, follow, and obey those who labor among them (I Thess. 5:12-13; Heb. 13:7, 17). Paul tells us three things about every true gospel preacher, every true pastor in the church of God.

1. God's servants are watchmen over his church and watchmen over the souls of men (vv. 26-27; Heb. 13:17; Ezek. 3:15-21; 33:1-16). The work of a watchman is not mysterious. He has but one thing to do. He must watch over the camp. God says, "Thou shalt hear the Word at my mouth, and warn them from me." When Paul gave account of himself, he simply said, "I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God." The word he received from God, he faithfully declared. He kept back nothing. That is the whole work of the ministry. A faithful pastor is a man who seeks a word from God for his people and faithfully delivers that word. He seeks and finds his message in the Bible alone and faithfully declares the message of Holy Scripture. The phrase, "all the counsel of God", is the gospel of the crucified Redeemer (I Cor. 2:7). God's watchmen proclaim to eternity bound men and women the message of salvation by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.

2. Pastors are the spiritual rulers and overseers of God's house (v. 28). It is every pastor's responsibility to take the oversight of the church he serves (I Pet. 5:13). The care of the house of God is his responsibility. He is to rule the church of God in exactly the same way a husband is to rule his house (I Tim. 3:4-5). A pastor must rule by example and in love. He must win the respect of men and women, so that they are willing to be ruled by him. And he must rule by the Word of God. But rule he must! The church is not to be ruled by the voice of the people, but by the voice of God through his messenger. Read Numbers 16:1-35 and see how serious God makes this matter to be!

As the overseer of God's church, it is the pastor's responsibility to feed the church. Many fleece the church. God's servants feed it with knowledge and understanding (Jer. 3:15). He must feed God's people with the knowledge of pure gospel doctrine and with an understanding of their peculiar needs. Such knowledge and understanding can be gained only by prayer and study. Therefore, the pastor must give himself entirely to this work (I Tim. 4:12-16).

3. God's preachers are set as pastors for the protection of his church (vv. 29-31; Eph. 4;14; II Tim. 3:1-4:5). As shepherds watch over their sheep, so true pastors watch over the flock of Christ's sheep to protect them from the pernicious, subtle, cunning doctrines of wolves. These wolves (false prophets) come from many quarters, wearing many different names, but they always have four things in common: (1) They deny God's total and absolute sovereignty. (2) They deny the effectual accomplishment of redemption by the blood of Christ. (3) They deny the efficacy of God's grace in salvation. (4) They give sinners something to do to make the blood of Christ and the grace of God personally efficacious.

THE CHURCH OF GOD (v. 28) - The church of God is a spiritual society, a family of believers. The only bond holding its members together is their relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. It cannot be denied that the word "church" is used in at least three ways in the New Testament. (1) It is used to describe all true believers of all ages, both those of the Old Testament and those of the New, both on earth and in heaven. This is what we call "the universal church". It is the mystical, spiritual body of which Christ is the Head (Eph. 1:22; 5:25-27; Heb. 12:23-24). (2) The word "church" is also used to describe local, visible assemblies of all professed believers in a given place. In a local church, there are both believers and unbelievers, true possessors of faith and mere professors of faith. Yet, every local assembly of professed believers is set forth as a local church in the New Testament, and is called "the church of God" (Rom. 16:1-5). (3) The word "church" is also used to describe all local churches at any given time in the world (I Cor. 10:32; 12:28). That does not mean that all religions, or all denominations together make up the church of God. However, all true churches, worshipping God in the pattern and doctrine of the New Testament, are one.

In Acts 20:28 Paul is addressing the elders of a particular local assembly at Ephesus, or perhaps, as noted before, these elders were preachers from several local assemblies in the Ephesus area. He calls this body of believers "the church of God". Two things are here revealed about the church of God.

1. It belongs to God. He chose it (II Thess. 2:13). He bought it with his own blood (Eph. 5:25-27; Tit. 2:14). And he calls it out of the world in effectual grace (Col. 1:12-14).

2. The church of God is a flock of sheep. Before we were converted, God's saints were lost sheep, straying from him. After conversion, believers are compared to sheep because they are meek, inoffensive, patient, and entirely dependent upon their Shepherd, Christ Jesus.

"THE WORDS OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST" (vv. 33-35) - In verse 35 Paul refers to one of the statements made by Christ that was commonly known to his disciples, though it was nowhere recorded in the four gospels. But, read together, verses 33-35 teach us three facts that need to be recognized and remembered.

1. God's servants are not greedy, covetous men; and they are not beggars (v. 33). Paul did not seek luxury, or even comfort. But he would not grovel before men. He would either be maintained by the free, voluntary gifts of God's people; or he would work to provide for his necessities. But he refused to beg!

2. Every believing man ought to labor as one working not for himself, but for the glory of God and to help others (v. 35). Every man is responsible to work and provide for himself and his family (I Tim. 5:8; II Thess. 3:10). We should each labor with diligence, not to amass great wealth, but, like Paul, to have the means to support those who preach the gospel and those who are less fortunate. Believers should work with their hands so that they may have the means to give to those who are in need (Eph. 4:28). This is love indeed (I John 3:16-19).

3. Ever remember, "It is more blessed to give than to receive" because the person who gives generously, with a willing heart, by his gifts, gives evidence that he is born of God; whereas the person who receives, but does not give, by hoarding God's bounty for himself, proves that he does not know God (I John 3:16-19).