It is important for all of us to understand biblically what church leaders should do. Our text, which is at the heart of Paul’s farewell address to the Ephesian elders, gives us a biblical job description for church leaders. This sermon from verse 28 shows us three main tasks of church leaders:

1. To Pay Attention
2. To Oversee
3. To Care

Paul is here handing the torch to these Ephesian elders. They were responsible to shepherd this flock of God. That is the main job description for church leaders. Churches are strong or weak, depending on the godliness of their leaders and the leaders’ diligence to pay close attention to themselves and to all the flock. It is both an awesome privilege and a weighty responsibility to shepherd the church that God purchased with the blood of His own Son!

Discussion Questions

1. Realizing that no man perfectly meets the qualifications for elder (1 Tim. 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9), how do we determine if a man is ready for the task?
2. How important is the form of church government to the well-being of the church?
3. How do busy elders find the balance between shepherding the flock and taking care of church business and administration?
4. What is the difference (if any) between an elder being able to teach (1 Tim. 3:2) and having the gift of teaching?