SERIES: “LESSONS FROM THE EARLY CHURCH”
TEXT: ACTS 20:17-32
TITLE: “LEADING THE CHURCH OF GOD”
INTRODUCTION: A. Acts 20:17-32 – “From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with
you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. I served the Lord with great
humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. You
know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but
have taught you publicly and from house to house. I have declared to both Jews and
Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will
happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that
prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me,
if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the
task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace. Now I know that none of you among
whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. Therefore, I
declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not
hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. Keep watch over yourselves and
all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the
church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage
wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own
number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of
you night and day with tears. 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. I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves
know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my
companions. In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must
help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: It is more blessed
to give than to receive.’ When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and
prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them
most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they
accompanied him to the ship.”
B. From this passage we learn some important things about the church:
1. vs. 28 – “church of God”
a. In the original language, the usage of what is termed the genitive (usually
translated as “of” or “from”) shows possession or origin.
b. Therefore, we need to understand that the church belongs to God
1). He bought it with His own blood
2). He started it on the Day of Pentecost through His Holy Spirit
2. vs. 17 – the word translated as “church” is a Greek word that means “called out” or
“set aside”
a. Used in secular Greek to refer to the elected assembly of representatives who met
to discuss and decide a city’s governmental matters
--They were a group chosen out of the general population and set apart for a
particular purpose.
b. “The elect” describes the church
1). Peter calls the church “a chosen generation”
2). The Bible also calls us “saints”
a). In the Greek, it’s the same term used to describe something set apart for a
particular purpose in the service of God.
b). Very closely tied to the words “sanctified” and “holy”
C. Leadership is the subject of Paul’s teaching
1. By biblical definition, it is out of those who are the “called out” (the church), God
has again “called out” or “set apart” certain men to be leaders.
2. Biblical words used in this passage to describe and define these particular leaders:
a. Elders – designates seniority or maturity
b. Overseer – to watch over or look out for
c. Shepherds – pastors that provide for and protect the flock
D. The Bible stresses the importance of leadership among the people of God
1. Throughout the Scriptures, God has chosen and set apart individuals for leadership
purposes
--The Scriptures also show that God has held these individuals accountable for
what they have done as leaders
2. What is leadership?
a. William H. Cowley – “A leader is anyone who has two characteristics: First, he
is going someplace; second, he is able to persuade others to go with him.”
b. Someone else: “A leader sees three things: what ought to be done, what can
be done, and how to do it.”
c. J. Robert Clinton defines a Christian leader as: “A godly person who has God-
given abilities and a God-given desire to influence a group of God’s people to
do God’s service.”
3. Let’s look at some of the leadership principles Paul left with the elders from the
Ephesian congregation
I. LEAD BY EXAMPLE
-- George Barna, How to Find Your Church: “Leadership is the ability to put the plans into practice, and to
accomplish the specified objectives through the skillful management of people, time, and tangible
resources. A good leader is one who is able to motivate people; one who is capable of making good
decisions, even under pressure or in conditions of uncertainty; one who can guide people through actions
as well as words.”
A. Leaders should be careful
1. vs. 28a – “Keep watch over yourselves…”
--watch in the original language mean to “guard; pay close attention to”
2. 1 Cor. 9, Paul has drawn an analogy between the Christian life and running in a race; especially the
purpose and goal involved.
--vs. 27 – “No, I beat my body and make it my slave, so that after I have preached to others, I myself
will not be disqualified for the prize.”
3. Leader must remain careful by remaining submissive to Christ
a. As leaders we can’t forget that we are not the seat of authority but that we have authority because it
comes through Christ
b. In Mt. 8:5-13, we see a centurion who came to ask Jesus to heal his ailing servant. Jesus says the
He will go and heal him. The centurion tells Jesus that he does not deserve to have Jesus come
under his roof but he recognized that all Jesus needed to do was to speak the word and that his
servant would be healed
1). The reason he says that Jesus can do that is that he sees Jesus as a man “under authority”
because he himself was a man “under authority”
2). The centurion knew the reason that he could order soldiers around was not because of an
authority that rested in himself but because his authority rested in who he served
--He knew there was someone above him
c. As leaders in the church, our authority does not rest in our ability or latent capabilities but in the
authority of the One we serve
4. Leaders are also to be submissive to each other
a. Eph. 5:21 – “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
b. As leaders, we need to remember that we are not answerable to just Jesus but also to His Body on
this earth – the church
--We are leaders for their good; not for ours.
B. Leaders need to be consistent
1. Vs. 18 – “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you…”
--Paul is saying, “You know that I practiced what I professed.”
2. A father was teaching his son what a Christian should be like. When the lesson was over, the father got
a stab he never forgot. His son asked, “Dad, have I ever met one of these Christians?”
a. As leaders, we can have the ability to take care of church business, we can have knowledge about
the Bible but if our lives aren’t consistent with what we profess, we haven’t led anyone anywhere
that’s important.
b. It’s most important for leaders to lead by example
C. Leaders need to be courageous
1. Vss. 22-23, Paul says, “And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what
will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and
hardships are facing me.”
--What Paul was going to be facing was not for the fainthearted
a. Leaders will face tough times
b. They have to be able to walk in courage and faith that God will provide for their need
2. “The Duke”, John Wayne, gave my favorite definition of courage: “Courage is being scared to
death but saddling up anyway.”
3. We can only remain courageous when we remain faithful.
a. Vs. 24, Paul says, “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race
and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s
grace.”
b. Paul could claim victory in that area
--At the end of his life, he would write to Timothy, 2 Tim. 4:7-8 – “I have fought the good fight, I
have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Now there is in store for me the crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to
me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
4. There are too many times those who are supposed to be leaders act like thermometers instead of
being thermostats.
a. A thermometer merely reflects the temperature in a particular area.
--If a thermometer reads 70 degrees and you place it in an area where the temperature is 50 degrees,
the thermometer will change to register whatever the room temperature is.
b. A thermostat, however, sets the temperature in a particular area.
--If the room is 50 degrees and you set the thermostat to 70 degrees, the temperature will adjust to
what the thermostat sets as the temperature of the room
c. Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?
5. 1 Pet. 5:1-4 – “To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ’s sufferings and
one who also will share in the glory to be revealed: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your
care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be;
not greedy for money, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being
examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that
will never fade away.”
II. LEAD BY THE WORD OF GOD
A. Leaders in the church need to be students of the Word
1. Vs. 32a, Paul says, “Now I commit you to God and to the word of His grace…”
--Literally, Paul is saying, “I’m not going to be around much longer so you need to depend of God’s
guidance – especially in His Word.”
2. Leaders need to be guided by the Word of God
--It’s God’s communication to His people concerning His general will for our lives
3. If we’re going to be guided by it, we have to study it so we can live by it
B. Leaders also need to teach and preach the Word of God
1. Vs. 20 – “You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have
taught you publicly and from house to house.”
2. It needs to be the whole Word of God (not just what is convenient at the time)
--Vs. 27 – “For have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.”
III. LEAD BY SHEPHERDING
--Vss. 28-29 – “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I
leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”
A. Shepherds lead by going ahead of the flock
1. Lynn Anderson, They Smell Like Sheep, relates this story: “Several years ago in Palestine, Carolyn
and I rode a tour bus through Israel’s countryside nearly mesmerized as the tour guide explained the
scenery, the history, and the lifestyle.
In his description, he included a heart-warming portrayal of the ancient shepherd/sheep
relationship. He expounded on how the shepherd builds a relationship with his sheep—how he feeds
them and gently cares for them. He pointed out that the shepherd doesn’t drive the sheep but leads
them, and that the shepherd does not need to be harsh with them, because they hear his voice and
follow. And so on…
He then explained how on a previous tour things had backfired for him as he was giving this same
speech about sheep and shepherds. In the midst of spinning his pastoral tale, he suddenly realized he
had lost his audience. They were all staring out the bus window at a guy chasing a ‘herd’ of sheep. He
was throwing rocks at them, whacking them with sticks, and siccing the sheep dog on them. The
sheep-driving man in the field had torpedoed the guide’s enchanting narrative.
The guide told us that he had been so agitated that he jumped off the bus, ran into the field, and
accosted the man, ‘Do you understand what you have just done to me?’ he asked. ‘I was spinning a
charming story about the gentle ways of shepherds, and here you are mistreating, hazing, and
assaulting these sheep! What is going on?’
For a moment, there was a bewildered look froze on the face of the poor sheep-chaser, then the
light dawned and he blurted out, ‘Man. You’ve got me all wrong. I’m not a shepherd. I’m a butcher’”
2. Jn. 10:1-5 – “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in
by some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his
sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own
sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them,
and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact,
they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
B. Shepherds lead by feeding the flock
1. The spiritual flock is fed with spiritual food: the Word of God
2. The Word of God is ingested and digested with a proper diet of spiritual worship and spiritual
programs that stimulate the flock to eat
3. The apostle Paul took great satisfaction in that he always provided a well-balanced, nutritious, and
filling spiritual meal from the Word of God.
C. Shepherds lead by protecting the flock
1. Vss. 29-31 – “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the
flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away
disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning
each of you night and day with tears.”
2. Paul doesn’t warn them to look for danger coming from the outside because that was expected
--Paul warns them that the greatest danger would come from within
a. The most dangerous threats to the church would come from the ranks of leadership
b. Their tactics will include distorting the truth
--They will want to make people see things the way they see them
c. Their goal will be to lead disciples to follow them; not Jesus Christ
3. Jn. 10:11, Jesus says that the true shepherd “lays down his life for the sheep”
a. Jesus then gives the example that a hired hand will run away when trouble and danger come to
the flock
b. In contrast, the true shepherd will defend them to the death.
IV. LEAD BY GIVING
--Vss. 33-35 – “I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. You yourselves know that these
hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. In everything I did, I
showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus
himself said: ’It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
A. Paul is saying, “I set the example for you, as leaders, to be diligent in giving of your material
possessions.”
1. As leaders, it’s our responsibility to show the flock what the Bible teaches about providing for the
needy and how the Lord will bless us when we give.
a. Prov. 28:27a – “He who give to the poor will lack nothing…”
b. Prov. 19:17 – “He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he
has done.”
2. One of the primary ways we provide for the needy is in our giving to the local congregation who in
turn should administer local, national, and worldwide benevolence programs to those who are in need
3. We also understand that God expects a return on what He blesses us with
--Mal. 3:8 & 10 – “8Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask, ’How do we rob you?’
In tithes and offerings.” “10‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my
house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of
heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’”
B. Paul is simply following the teachings of his Lord and Savior who said:
1. Vs. 35 – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.
2. “If you’ve done it to the least of these, you’ve done it to Me.”
V. LEAD BY PRAYER
--Vs. 36 – “When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.”
A. Prayer has become the most under-rated and under-used practice in leadership
1. We offer token prayers before a board meeting or during church services but very few leaders
recognize the power of prayer in their leadership.
2. According to surveys, the average Christian spends about seven minutes a day in prayer.
B. Prayer is the most important thing we can do for the people we lead
1. James 4:2b – “You don not have because you do not ask God.”
--or as the KJV puts it: “You have not because you ask not.”
2. Eph. 6:10-18. Paul talks about spiritual warfare.
a. He says that our struggle is not against human beings but against spiritual beings
b. He then goes through an elaborate description of putting on spiritual armor to prepare for battle
c. But in vs. 18, he tells us where the battle takes place: “And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with
all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind be alert and always keep on praying for all the
saints.”
3. The church is told to pray for its leaders
--But leaders also need to lift up the flock in consistent and substantial prayer
VI. LEAD BY BEING PASSIONATE
A. Listen to the passion involved in the apostle Paul’s ministry
1. Vs. 19a – “I served the Lord with great humility and with tears…”
2. Vss. 37-38 – “They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his
statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
B. Passion is important in leadership
1. One of the definitions of “passion” is “the object of strong desire or concern”
2. The passion described in our text today shows a very deep caring and concern for those involved
3. The kind of passion described involves two things:
a. Giving all you’ve got and not holding back
--“I would rather try to restrain a fanatic than to revive a corpse.”
b. Loving with all you have
--People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care
4. We need to remember as leaders that true love sometimes needs to be tough love
a. It doesn’t overlook people’s faults
--glaring sins and behaviors that are detrimental to the flock are confronted
b. Rom. 12:9 – “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”
--The sincerity of love depends on discernment
c. No one was more loving than Jesus but He confronted people with their glaring sinfulness
5. As a leader, don’t be afraid to care deeply
a. Deep concern for others is an indication of God’s call to leadership
b. It’s one of the reasons He wants you in leadership – because you care about something that is
important to Him: His people.
CONCLUSION: A. The greatest thing about all of the words used for leaders in our passage is that they apply
to Jesus Christ
1. Elder – Jesus is our elder (big) brother
2. Overseer – Christ is the overseer of all things
3. Shepherd – Especially so
--John 10, Jesus draws a lengthy portrait of Himself as the Good Shepherd
a. He cares about His sheep
--There is no monetary or material gain in caring about His sheep but He loves them
anyway
b. He loves His sheep so much that He has laid down His life for His sheep
--vs. 11 – “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the
sheep.”
B. Jesus, our Good Shepherd, did lay down His own life when He went to the cross for our
sins and died in our place.
1. Maybe you’ve heard the story of the sheep in New Zealand named Shrek. He had
escaped and evaded capture and shearing for six years. When he was finally
discovered in his high mountain cave by Ann Scanlan, he was almost unrecognizable
as a sheep. The first thing she did was to pin back his wool so that he could see to
walk.
People were so interested in Shrek’s return, the owner kept him in a pen for weeks
so that reporters could broadcast this amazing return of the lost sheep. Then, on live
television, world champion sheep-shearer Peter Casserly shaved off six years worth
of matted wool
2. Shrek’s story is a lot like our own
a. Why?
--Because “we all like sheep have gone astray”
b. But Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross removes all the sin and guilt that makes us
unrecognizable as children of God.
