If we were to find ourselves having to depart from people we dearly love, knowing that we would never see them again, surely our final words to our beloved would come from the depths of our heart and express our most sincere desires for their welfare. In Acts 20:17-38, Paul finds himself in such circumstances. He is departing for Jerusalem and then on to Rome, where he will face severe persecution and imprisonment. He knows he will never again see his beloved co-laborers, the elders of the Church of Ephesus.
In the third installment from this intimate and touching passage of God’s Word, Paul warns the elders that after he departs from them serious trouble will appear—false teachers, savage wolves, who will seek to devour and destroy the flock.
In this sermon, Paul warns the elders of things that all Christians must take to heart and put into practice. Overall, live a cautious life. What is the plan of defense given in these verses? Two things: beware of losing sight of your calling and beware of Satan’s devices.