Shepherds,
Sheep, and Wolves
Pay careful
attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy
Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which
he obtained with his own blood.
I know that after
my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the
flock; and
from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to
draw away the disciples after them. (Acts 20:28-30)
Why Pastors Do It
(vs. 29-30)
Pastors do what they
do because there are serious dangers to the church. Souls hang in
the very balance. John Piper has written, “What gives preaching
its seriousness is that the mantle of the preacher is soaked with the
blood of Jesus and singed with the fire of hell.”
Dangers from
outside (vs. 29)
There are many
dangers and the sheep do not always recognize them. False teachers
and false doctrine must be watched for. These wolves are fierce.
They seek to devour and destroy the sheep. How do they do this?
They infiltrate churches and spread false teachings or deny key
doctrines. They may deny the deity of Christ, God's judgment, or the
power of the gospel. Or they may teach salvation by works or other
perversions.
Pastors must be
aware and watchful. False teachers do not advertise that they are
false. It is their doctrine and maybe their lives that betray them.
Churches need caring and faithful elders to protect and ward off the
enemy. Churches need pastors that will watch and pay attention, who
will remain alert and vigilant. Pastors also need to be able to
recognize danger and be bold enough to confront it.
The sad reality is
that sheep are often unaware. They may even be oblivious to danger
or preoccupied. Sheep need shepherds. With that said, sheep need to
trust their pastors and follow their leadership. Discernment ought
to be exercised so the sheep do not fall for everything they hear.
Also, the sheep need to realize that the dangers from outside the
church are a reality, they are real threats and can do real damage.
Dangers from
inside (vs. 30)
That
dangers exist outside the church and try to enter in, should be
obvious enough. But Paul also warns of the danger of men rising up
from within the church that spread false teaching. Every church
member needs to consider asking themselves, “is it I?” A good
shepherd points and leads the flock to Christ. The false shepherds,
or hirelings, point to themselves. Paul said that they try to draw
men away “after them.” These false teachers speak twisted
things. They are unbiblical and only cause harm. They do not have
the interest of the sheep in mind. They lead the sheep away from the
truth and fail to nourish or benefit the sheep.
This is another
reality that shepherds need to be aware of. They must be on guard.
However, false teachers and false doctrine can be used by God. God
is so amazing that he can glorify himself and edify his church
through those who seek only to mislead and do harm to the church.
God will be glorified.
How does God bring
himself glory and sanctify the church? First, the truth shines
brighter when under attack. Second, when false teaching is present,
the truth is focused on, rediscovered, and solidified. Third, when
that which is false is combated by the truth, people may be
converted, thus demonstrating the power of God and the gospel.
Fourth, when truth is attacked, true believers become united and gain
strength from each other. Fifth, false doctrine has a purifying
affect and tends to separate the sheep from the goats or the wheat
from the tares. Finally, sixth, when false teaching is present,
God's people are driven to God's word which edifies, builds up,
sanctifies, cleanses, and convicts.
All of this means
that the word of God is and must be central. Everything that a
church does ought to come from Scripture. God's word is to govern
every aspect of our lives. The word of God has to be proclaimed,
read, heard, and obeyed.
Conclusion
From
this text it has been shown what a pastor is to do and why. What has
been described is the pastor churches are to desire. Do not follow a
hireling. Know that there are wolves; be alert and mindful. These
wolves often masquerade in sheep's clothing, but sometimes there are
wolves in shepherd's clothing. Be on guard.
No comments:
Post a Comment