By David Shannon
Vincent Lombardi, widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in history, had a way of never losing sight of the basics. He believed games were won and lost on fundamentals. After a disappointing loss he would demand that practices return to basics of football. Why work on passing routes and blitz packages if you can’t block and tackle!  Standing before professional men who were among the greatest athletes in the country he began each season by holding up a football and saying, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Lombardi wasn’t the first focused leader. The apostle Paul was a focused leader also. He held up the truth of God’s Word in order to move people toward God. Vincent moved football players to championships. Paul led people to eternal life. Where do you lead people? It is easy to get off course.  
  
What was the main thing in Paul’s Life? 
In this second part article of “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing,” we remember that Paul stated his main purpose in life in Acts 20:21. His purpose was to turn others toward God so they could live their lives faithfully in our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul succeeded in focusing on the main thing due, in part, to his unwillingness to be distracted or detoured. Leading well today is one level of challenge; leading well every day is a much higher challenge. Envision the elders of Ephesus sitting in the conference with Paul in Acts 20. He is urging them to stay on track. Almost in Vincent Lombardi style he calls them to consider his simple, basic example. Paul was going to fulfill his purpose to lead others toward Christ, despite tribulations, which we considered in last month’s issue (Acts 20:22-24). Even despite false teachers, which we will consider now (Acts 20:29-32). And despite difficult labor, keep giving, which we will discuss next month  (Acts 20:33-35). These same distractions take leaders off course today. 
False Teachers 
Paul urged the elders not to become side tracked with false teachers (Acts 20:29-32). Despite the warning, he prophesied that some of them would. Paul uses the term wolf to describe those who would teach false doctrine. You have to think in terms of the defenselessness of sheep against wolves to fully appreciate the possible damage done by these men. The only protection sheep has against a wolf is their shepherd. To gain the most from Paul’s analogy, pause for a moment, close your eyes and imagine a wolf chasing down a sheep, tearing its jugular, and devouring its flesh (pause, meditate). It wasn’t a pretty sight, was it? Can you imagine Paul saying, “Some of you are going to be the wolf.” How can leaders of sheep protect them from wolves? First, by not becoming a wolf themselves! Paul continues his answer by saying they must deposit their life in God and His Word (Acts 20:32). In other words, keep the main thing the main thing. Culture is making some hard pulls to deviate us from Truth. What does the Truth say about sexual immorality, roles of women, worship, the form of doctrine that saves, etc.?  There are many wolves today who “devour” Christians and even whole congregations with false teaching. 
Real Life Example:  Paul wrote to the same elders and their congregation in Ephesians 4:14-15 “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head–Christ.” 
Can you imagine children floating in a boat carried by the current of the water? They don’t have the nautical skills to arrive at a chosen destination. They are at the mercy of the current or wind. In the same way immature Christians can easily be carried by every wind of doctrine, even if it is false. But if someone can speak the Truth in love it will help them to grow up into Christ, our destination. Leaders have the opportunity and responsibility to do this. 
Lessons for Leader:  The leader must know the Truth in order to protect the sheep or in other words, to keep the children on the charted course. The leader must speak the Truth with love. If the leader doesn’t have a genuine love for others he will use the Truth as an attack weapon instead of an instrument which gives life. Leaders use the Truth to fulfill the main thing. Fathers, Bible class teachers, deacons, ministers, or elders would you be described as a shepherd or wolf? Examine yourself as to what you do with the Truth (John 17:17) and there you will find your answer. 
Think on this. What are the risks if the leader doesn’t know the Truth? Is this why some are so easily distracted from the main thing? The Truth moves people toward God and faith toward Jesus Christ!