0420 THE CHURH AT EPHESUS PART THREE

THE CHURCH AT EPHESUS, PART 3

Paul is traveling through the region, rushing to make it to Jerusalem in time for Passover. He had invested about three years of his ministry there, and they had gone through much together, but he didn’t have time to go back through Ephesus. Even so,  he is in the general region, so he sends for the elders of the church to come meet him at the ocean shore at Miletus. The elders all make the two-day trip, which is about 63 miles by land.

When the elders arrive, Paul reviews his ministry among them. He reminds them that he had invested many tears with them, having endured the trials from the plots of the Jews. He tells them that he never strank back from telling them what they needed to hear, both publicly and in their homes. All of these details and more underscore the credibility of his work, because it shows he did everything for them, not for himself. He says, “I declare today that I have been faithful.” 

Paul gives the center of his message. If you boil down all that he said into one word or phrase, what would that be? He had differing starting points when talking with Jews than with Greeks. But when he summarizes his message it is this: “the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.” Repentance and faith in Jesus. A bold but clear message.

Then Paul lets them know that jail and suffering lie ahead for him. The Holy Spirit has been warning him in every city. (We will see more about this soon.)

And then he gets to the center of his concern for the elders at Ephesus. I suppose it could be a universal message for all church shepherds, even though it is specific for them. But it has some very particular warnings, which we want to note and then see if these things came to pass, since we know something of the history of the Ephesian church.

“So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as leaders. I know that false teachers, like vicious wolves, will come in among you after I leave, not sparing the flock. Even some men from your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. Watch out!” 

1. Guard yourselves. Watch your own heart first. It may be the very one most tempted to try to draw a following.
2. Guard God’s people. Monitor the spiritual hearts of God’s people. Protect them from being led astray.
3. Feed and shepherd God’s flock. This is the job of a shepherd: feed them (teach truth) and shepherd them (guide behavior).
4. The Holy Spirit appointed you as leaders. So if you are a leader, go in the right direction so that those who follow you will not go wrong.
5. False teachers will come in among you. They are teachers. They are spiritual. But they are false. A qualified elder is not an automatic lifelong role.
6. They will not spare the flock. This is the opposite of being a shepherd! Rather than guarding, you destroy, because you pursue your wants rather than what is best for them.
7. Some of your own group will rise up and distort the truth in order to draw a following. This may be the central temptation: to distort the truth in order to draw a following. What?! You are supposed to be a leader, but not to draw a following? That’s right. You lead them to the Chief Shepherd, not to your own power base.
8. Watch out! This underscores how easy it must be to have this failure happen. He opens with guard yourselves and ends with watch out.

I have noticed  that church problems usually come down to control and power. Do you see how that is true, based on Paul’s warning? I will sacrifice the purity of my message in order to gain control. In some small way I begin to compromise my message to inject myself into Christ’s story. 

All of this is why Paul reminds the elders of his sufferings and his financial purity. There was nothing in it for him. Beware when someone gains from you. If they have no gain, they are doing it for your sake. But follow the money. If they have something to gain from it, they no doubt have mixed motives for all that they do.

This must be very subtle, possibly a gradual slippery slope in which we don’t realize that we have the disease until it has already taken over. We will take special note of it in our scrutiny of Ephesus. But I need to watch my own life and doctrine carefully, as well.

When he had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all cried as they embraced and kissed him good-bye. They were sad most of all because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they escorted him down to the ship.