Today’s passage is a continuation of Paul’s message at Miletus. Last week we looked at the first part of Paul’s message and saw what kind of a person is a witness to the Gospel. Today let’s look at how a leader in the church should be. In verse 28 it says, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God.” In other words, Paul is telling the Ephesian church elders and pastors, in other words the leaders of the church, to and how they should pastor the church.
Pastoring is “a noble task”. (I Tim. 3:1) Therefore, today let’s look at 3 aspects of a person who is a good shepherd, or a good pastor.
I. Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock (vs. 28-30)
Paul first says to the Ephesian leaders who were to pastor the flock, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock.” (28) “Watch over” means “to concentrate on being careful” In other words, it means to be extremely careful about yourself and your flock. The reason is given in verses 29 and 30. It is because Paul knew that after he left them, savage wolves will come and destroy the flock. Even within the flock “men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.” (30) There was an evil force working to draw away believers from the faith from the beginning of the church. This evil force destroys the flock. Therefore, in order to counteract this force, and so that the Church can stand as a church, we must watch over ourselves and the flock.
First of all Paul says, “Keep watch over yourselves.” (28) In other words, the concerns of helping others and of management tend to draw our attention and we don’t realize that we ourselves are lacking and in danger. We need to build up ourselves. Of course the leader’s skills and identity are important, but more important is being fed by the Word of God. Therefore, it is the Word of God that builds us up. Through the help of the Holy Spirit we must grow spiritually. The church leaders before feeding the people need to feed themselves.
Next, they need to keep watch over “all the flock”. This means to pastor the church. A shepherd’s responsibility is so the sheep can eat grass and drink water and grow, to lead them to places where there is grass and water. They also must protect them from wolves and wild animals so they don’t get eaten up. They need to be on the watch that nothing disrupts the flock. In other words, the leader needs to love deeply those whom the Lord has given him.
II. Committing to God and to the word of his grace (vs.31-32)
The second thing a good shepherd needs to do is commit his flock to God and to the word of grace. With hungry wolves coming from the outside and within the flock “men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them”, we must be constantly on watch. Then we need to commit the flock “to God and to the Word of his grace.” (32)
In verse 32 Paul says, “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.” Here is Paul’s strongest assurance and strongest message. This is a stronger assurance than he has had up until now as he gave encouraging words, commands and warnings. It is stronger than anything he has said about his lifestyle. That’s because in the end, he had to commit everything to God and to the word of his grace. That is because it is by the Word of God that Christians grow. It is not by human knowledge or strength that the church is built up. It is only by God and the word of his grace that the church is built up and we can be given an inheritance in heaven.
Before in the reigns of Judah’s kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, Judah’s enemies came to destroy Jerusalem. They were in a pinch because the whole city of Jerusalem was surrounded by its enemies. The leaders of Jerusalem got together and put their heads together trying to think of what they should do. They thought of all sorts of strategies. They thought of ways to try to develop peaceful relationships with their enemies. They thought of signing treaties with other nations so other nations would protect her. They had lots of ideas. Isaiah warned the Israelites not to depend upon their own thinking or wisdom, but to depend upon God. He suggested that the reason that they were in such a pinch was because they had left the real God. The only solution was for them not to rely on human knowledge, but on the knowledge of God. He said that they needed to return to God. Then God would forgive them. They needed to rely on God. However, the Jerusalem leaders didn’t listen to Isaiah’s warning. They relied on their own thinking. As a result Jerusalem was destroyed. That was because they didn’t rely on God.
This can also be said of the church. When the church becomes separated from the Word of God and depends on human thinking, it experiences destruction like Jerusalem. However, when the church is committed to God and the word of grace, it is never destroyed. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what the Word of God is saying, and then follow it.
Paul believed that God and the word of grace would build up the church and give the believers an inheritance in heaven so he was able to commit the church to the Word of God. This was not just the Ephesus church, but all churches in all generations. It is God who builds up the church. We need to remember that it is only by God, and the Word through the work of the Holy Spirit that the church grows. Therefore, we need to be a flock that follows the Word of God.
III. It is more blessed to give than to receive (vs. 33-35)
Thirdly a good shepherd practices the words of Jesus “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (35) The last thing that Paul talked about was how they could help the weak. That was to have the heart of Jesus who said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (35) Jesus lived such a life.
Luke 6:38
John 12:24,25
Jesus gave up himself and died on the cross that we might live. Jesus’ life was a life of giving.
John 10:11
Jesus gave his life for us. Jesus is the good shepherd. “A hired hand doesn’t give his life for his sheep” because he doesn’t own the sheep. “So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.” However, Jesus is the good shepherd. He gives his life for the sheep. Then we who follow the good shepherd need to live by “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” (35)
In this world a lot of people think the opposite that it is more blessed to receive that to give. We are self centered so we think we are really happy when we receive things, but that is not real happiness. In fact the more we try to keep possessions for ourselves, the more we have feelings of meaninglessness. Money is not bad. What is bad is being controlled by money. When we try to save money, we tend to rely on the money, and become a slave to the money.
II Cor. 8:7
Giving is the grace of God. Offerings are the grace of God.
II Cor. 8:19
Offerings “show our eagerness to help” (19) If our offerings do not show this eagerness, then there is little meaning in it. Not only that, but it is difficult for us to give joyfully. If we really understood that offerings show the unity and concrete fellowship of the church, we will be changed into giving people. Therefore, Paul gladly gave. He thought he had to help the weak. Also by giving, he was able to remember the words of Jesus who said, ‘ “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Paul while remembering these words, was able to live a life of giving.
When we look at Paul we can see that he never really experienced a slump. Instead, he said, “rejoice”. Even when he was in prison, he said “Rejoice”. He had a secret for overcoming all things. That secret was Jesus Christ. Like Jesus, he was able to give his life. If we live our life by “It is more blessed to give than to receive,” then we will be able to overcome too.
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock” (28) giving freely, expecting no reward, being faithful and committing everything to God and the word of grace. This is what is expected of those who are overseers of the church that God “bought with his own blood.” (28) It is also the way of blessing for all Christians.
In Rev. 2:1-5 we can see how the Ephesus church was like in the end of the first century. According to verse 2 the Ephesus church followed the teachings of Paul and they didn’t “tolerate wicked men” and were careful to test “those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false.” In other words, they followed the Word of God and they were victorious in battle. However, God had a complaint against them. They had forsaken their first love.
May our church have a hot burning love based on the Word of God. By the love and tears of a mother may we build up the church until the coming of the kingdom of God. May each of us fulfill faithfully the task that we have been given. May we like Jesus and Paul as the result of being loved first by God joyfully give of ourselves. May we be shepherds living in this love. This is the good shepherd that Paul and Jesus envisioned.