As the apostle Paul was heading toward Jerusalem near the end of his third recorded preaching journey, he and those with him stopped on the island of Miletus (Acts 20:16). From there "he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church" (20:17). When those elders came to Paul (20:18), he reminded them of his past activities with them.

After that, Paul turned those elders’ attention to a pressing matter: their responsibility as leaders of the church. In Acts 20:28-35, among other things, we read that the inspired apostle told them,

(28) Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. (29) For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. (30) Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. (31) Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night and day with tears. (32) And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified . . . (35) I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

These words offered to the overseers of the church in Ephesus served as a charge, exhortation, and warning to them. Members of the Lord’s body need to be aware of what God desires and expects from the shepherds of a local church. In particular, every elder of every congregation should give special attention to the above-quoted words that Paul spoke to those brothers in the Christ that had the responsibility of shepherding the flock of God nearly 2000 years ago.

In the context of Paul’s charge to the Ephesian elders, what are those things and people for which the elders must watch? Let us consider three answers from the text.

1. Elders, Watch Yourselves! We see this idea in the very first words of verse 28: "Take heed therefore unto yourselves . . ." For those elders that sincerely desire to be able to lead others effectively, the first step is for them to set forth in their own lives the kind of example that other members of the church can respect and imitate. Every overseer is to be "of good behavior" (1 Timothy 3:2). Yes, as 1 Peter 5:3 indicates, elders are to be "examples to the flock." They are, of course, to be good examples!

Every child of God is commanded, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves" (2 Corinthians 13:5). We are also told to take heed, lest we fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Such instructions surely apply to all elders. Being appointed as the spiritual leaders over a local flock of God may cause some to be lifted up with pride. Elders, beware! Serving as elders may cause some to feel that they are "above the law" of God and no longer subject to it. Elders, beware! Being appointed to oversee the work of a congregation may cause some brothers to want to become Diotrephes-styled dictators, lording it over the flock (3 John 9,10; 1 Peter 5:3). Elders, beware!

Elders, watch yourselves. You can be sure that other members of the church, as well as those outside the body of the Christ, will be closely observing your walk and talk. It just "comes with the territory." Elders, we need you brothers to help show us the way by the pattern of life that you set before us. But that is not all.

2. Elders, Watch the Flock! The charge of Acts 20:28 is not simply for elders to watch themselves, but also to take heed "to all the flock." The flock is "the church of God" (Acts 20:28). It is called "the flock of God" (1 Peter 5:2). It is not just a flock; it is God’s flock! And some brothers in the Lord are responsible for watching after His flock. Who might that be? Those that the Bible calls "elders" (Acts 20:17) or "overseers" (Acts 20:28). There is no greater responsibility in all the world than the responsibility that rests on the shoulders of elders.

How are the elders to feed or shepherd the flock? In part, by providing for it the spiritual nutrition that it needs. How does that come about? By giving it the proper teaching – the word of God that causes the sheep to grow and continue to be strong (1 Peter 2:2). The elders are responsible for all teaching that is done in a congregation. That does not mean that the elders personally have to teach every class or preach every sermon. But, since they must give account for the souls of those whom they oversee (Hebrews 13:17), they ultimately are responsible for every handout or booklet used in a class, every bulletin published, and every sermon preached. If any errors are propagated in any of these forums, then the elders are responsible for taking the proper action to correct such errors. Why? Because they are to make sure that the sheep under their shepherdship don’t get any poisonous food!

Note that the message of Acts 20:28 is for elders to take heed to "all" the flock which they oversee. Not one sheep is to be left out. Later Paul went on to tell the Ephesian elders to "support the weak" (Acts 20:35). Every sheep in the flock, including the weak ones, is deserving of the shepherds’ concern, care, and if needed, correction. Jesus said that the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep (John 10:11). Which ones? Which ever sheep need the protection. Remember Jesus’ parable of the lost sheep? A shepherd with one hundred sheep loses one sheep. If the shepherd really cares for the sheep, what does he do? He goes after that which is lost until he finds it (Luke 15:4). Elders need to take heed to the spiritual needs of the entire flock. That sounds like a job that carries a lot of responsibility, that requires a lot of work, that surely would have to be supported by constant prayer by the shepherds, and that could make the difference in some of the sheep ultimately being lost or being saved. Right on every point: being shepherds that really watch for the flock is not a task for boys or those that are unwilling to carry out their God-given duty.

3. Elders, Watch the Wolves! Paul warned the elders from Ephesus about wolves: "For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock" (Acts 20:29). Elders are charged with keeping the wolves out of and away from God’s flock. Brethren, it is not wise, and it is not loving, to ignore spiritual wolves. Wolves "draw away disciples after them" (Acts 20:30). Spiritual wolves destroy God’s sheep!

False prophets are wolves (Matthew 7:15). Those that are trying to convince the church to fellowship denominations are wolves. Those that encourage our young people to disregard the New Testament’s pattern for worship are wolves. Those that advocate that people can marry and divorce as often as they want, for any reason they want, and still be in good standing with God, are wolves. Elders, beware!

The church of Christ suffers greatly at the hands of wolves. Some of the damage could be limited if elders would be more aware of and forearmed against those wolves. Elders need to take time to read and learn about the wolves of our day, their teaching, their practices, and their manners. You see, the wolves that today are in our brethren’s midst just down the road, in the next county, or next state, may try to get into our flock tomorrow. If we are concerned about and track approaching bad weather or physical diseases, then surely it is a whole lot more important to beware of and track spiritual wolves.

Elders, watch! Watch yourselves, watch the flock, and watch the wolves. God wants you to, and those of us under your care need you to.