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"Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves."
(Acts 20:28-30)
Good leaders tell you things you may not want to hear, but deep down, you know you need to hear. If leaders only communicate to those they lead when they have positive and exciting news, then they are not going to speak very often to their people. Whether you lead a business, a sports team, or a church, there will come times when you will be called upon to share bad news. Before leaders can present the possibilities of a promising future, they first must deal with some painful realities in the present. I love leaders like this. To help forge a path forward, these men and women accurately assess the current situation, even though it may be bleak.
The context for Acts 20:17-38 is the Apostle Paul addressing the pastoral leadership of the church at Ephesus. He does not hold back. He speaks the truth in love. He even goes so far as to warn about future dangers that they will have to face. In Acts 20:28, Paul instructs pastors to take care of the flock of God and be attentive to them. Notice that Paul calls them episkopos, overseers, those who lead and who make sure things are done correctly. Note it is the Holy Spirit who calls, not churches. Instead of saying, "We called our pastor," it is better to say, "God called him, and we affirmed that call."
Pastors are to poimaino the church, shepherd the church of God. This means to feed and to tend as a shepherd would his sheep. What a sacred trust granted to pastors to literally care for and feed the very ones God purchased with His own blood. This is a clear reference to Jesus Christ and His death on the cross and a statement of the deity of Jesus.
In verse 29, Paul warned the church of false teachers who would come like savage wolves and prey upon the church. This indeed happened, as evidenced in Paul's letters to Timothy and in Revelation chapter 2. They had infiltrated the church by AD 63, and by AD 95, the Nicolaitans had as well. It is very revealing to me how this church planted by Paul and pastored by Timothy and later the Apostle John had false teachers within their fellowship. In verse 30, the pastors were also told to beware of false teachers from their own ranks.
Paul did not hold back. He spoke the truth to these men of God. He was a leader of leaders! We need men like this in the church today. Men of God who love enough to share the truth, even when it might be hard to hear.
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