Acts 20:28–31 (NASB95) — 28 “Be on guard (Pros·ekh·o) for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31 “Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years I did not cease to admonish each one with tears.

1. Be on GUARD

1. “Be on guard” is a frequent exhortation in the scriptures. 
2. 1 Peter 5:8–9 (ESV) — 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
3. Sober, Watchful, Resisting
   1. Sober
      1. Not overly subdued 
      2. Not overly excited 
   2. Watchful - like a parent around a pool.

Resisting - Set yourself against him.

2. Guard YOURSELF

1. What does it mean to guard YOURSELF?! 
2. Be awake, be alert, be prepared, that the enemy would want to sift you.
3. How to practically guard yourself - 3 Ways
   1. Guard the gates - Eyes, ears, mouth
   2. Guard the mind - thoughts you dwell on, temptations, lies
   3. Guard the heart - drifting away from God, loving the things of this life.

3. Guard the FLOCK

1. We are all shepherds in a sense. We all watch out for people. 
2. Jesus saw himself as the shepherd of a flock.
   1. John 10:11–14 (NLT) — 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd sacrifices his life for the sheep. 12 A hired hand will run when he sees a wolf coming. He will abandon the sheep because they don’t belong to him and he isn’t their shepherd. And so the wolf attacks them and scatters the flock. 13 The hired hand runs away because he’s working only for the money and doesn’t really care about the sheep. 14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my own sheep, and they know me,
3. Practically speaking
   1. Our marriages
      1. Stay close (time and affection)
      2. Stay kind (our attitude and tone to one another)
      3. Stay spiritually connected (praying together)
   2. Our families
      1. Guard Devices
      2. Guard Friends
      3. Guard Drift
   3. Our friends
      1. Notice their walk with God
      2. Grow together (books, Bible)
      3. Pray for and with them.
   4. Our Church
      1. Don’t tolerate divisive tactics (Gossip, Slander).
      2. Don’t tolerate divisive people.
      3. Pray for leadership.