Acts 20 -- If WE'D Been The Elders From Ephesus

As he headed back to Jerusalem, Paul asked the elders from Ephesus to join him at Miletus so that he could reach Jerusalem in time for Pentecost.  My commentary pointed to “Paul’s warnings to them of the dangers they had to recognize and deal with if they were to protect and lead the church”:

 

Dangers around us:  meaning the false teachers who would be trying to come into the church and change their beliefs

 

Dangers among us:  meaning people within the church who are ambitious for position and power

 

Dangers within us:  Paul named five sins that are destructive to the life and ministry of spiritual leaders.

 

Those five sins are:

 

Carelessness:  Failing to stay alert and forgetting the price others have paid so we might have God’s truth

 

Shallowness:  We can’t build the church unless God is building our lives daily

 

Covetousness:  A consuming and controlling desire for what others have and for more of what we already have.  It leads us to break the other commandments

 

Laziness:  Making sure we’re earning what we’re paid to do

 

Selfishness:  Following Christ’s example, being more about giving rather than getting

 

 

Father, help me to review what’s going on in my life right now.  Show me if I’m blind to any of these, and if so, help me to take heed and root it out of my life!

 

Your Brother In Christ,

Gary Ford