Updated 15 Oct 2010 and 12 Dec 2010 and 3rd August 2012
Please refer to a new article posted on 3rd August 2012 Pastors: Should We ONLY Preach The Gospel and Nothing Else?
I have also added an article on 15 Oct 2010 which supplements this article. After reading this article please check out the new article on this shortcut link by clicking: Qualities Of True Biblical Leadership Compared To the False Teachers
The teaching about the Good Shepherd
I write an article exhorting Pastors and Leaders to rise up in these Last Days to protect our churches and individuals from the wolves and hirelings of our day. Jesus spoke about
three type of people (pastors/teachers?) in John chapter 10:11-13
The Shepherds, The Hireling, The Wolf
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. We know the Good Shepherd is Jesus. However, all pastors are called to be good shepherds. The OT mentions the "worthless shepherd" and judges "the shepherds of my people". Jesus anoints men to be pastors to be shepherds who care for the sheep and lay down their very own lives for those they oversee.
They take great care to: feed the sheep with truth, to edify them, encourage and equip them to be strong, to disciple them so that they can disciple others etc and protect them from deception and spiritual danger. Basically they follow the teachings of Paul to Timothy on how to be faithful as pastors.
The hireling cares nothing for the sheep because he is a hireling. Jesus said that certain pastors are simply hirelings. They care only for themselves. They don't care about protecting the church from heresy or false teaching because they are only interested in their own agenda eg making money, gaining the approval of men, seeking power, being loved by all people etc.
In fact, because they are not interested in serving Jesus but only their own glory they welcome ecumenical teaching or anything which makes a name for themselves because numerical growth is the "be all and end all" of their work. It glorifies them that they are growing numerically. It doesn't matter to them whether these people embrace truth or error, as long as their numbers increase.
What will mark these men out? When persecutions or sufferings arise they will either recant their faith or desert the church. They care NOTHING for the flock When the wolf (or wolf in sheeps clothing) appears they let the false teacher/prophet ravage the sheep without saying anything against the lies.
The Wolf or wolf in sheep's clothing seeks to destroy the household of God. Jesus said these are men who pretend to be sheep but are inwardly ravaging wolves. Their purpose is to destroy our pure faith with lies, heresies and deception causing us to be preys of the evil one.
SO, where do you stand? Do you properly take care of those who have been entrusted to you? Are you vigilant to expose the wolves so that they do not endanger the sheep with deception and false gospel? and do you avoid hiring worthless shepherds (those who would divide the church with carelessness and who allow the ecumenical teaching into the church?
If you really do care, do you protect those in your church with your very own life? To what extent do you lay down your life? Do you put them before your own desires and wants, denying self. Giving not just your time and money but your very lives?
Or will you be a hireling? Or indeed are you a wolf?
Addition 12 Dec 2010
Please click on the following shortcut link which illustrates the false shepherds to avoid:
Please refer to a new article posted on 3rd August 2012 Pastors: Should We ONLY Preach The Gospel and Nothing Else?
I have also added an article on 15 Oct 2010 which supplements this article. After reading this article please check out the new article on this shortcut link by clicking: Qualities Of True Biblical Leadership Compared To the False Teachers
The teaching about the Good Shepherd
I write an article exhorting Pastors and Leaders to rise up in these Last Days to protect our churches and individuals from the wolves and hirelings of our day. Jesus spoke about
three type of people (pastors/teachers?) in John chapter 10:11-13
The Shepherds, The Hireling, The Wolf
The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. We know the Good Shepherd is Jesus. However, all pastors are called to be good shepherds. The OT mentions the "worthless shepherd" and judges "the shepherds of my people". Jesus anoints men to be pastors to be shepherds who care for the sheep and lay down their very own lives for those they oversee.
They take great care to: feed the sheep with truth, to edify them, encourage and equip them to be strong, to disciple them so that they can disciple others etc and protect them from deception and spiritual danger. Basically they follow the teachings of Paul to Timothy on how to be faithful as pastors.
The hireling cares nothing for the sheep because he is a hireling. Jesus said that certain pastors are simply hirelings. They care only for themselves. They don't care about protecting the church from heresy or false teaching because they are only interested in their own agenda eg making money, gaining the approval of men, seeking power, being loved by all people etc.
In fact, because they are not interested in serving Jesus but only their own glory they welcome ecumenical teaching or anything which makes a name for themselves because numerical growth is the "be all and end all" of their work. It glorifies them that they are growing numerically. It doesn't matter to them whether these people embrace truth or error, as long as their numbers increase.
What will mark these men out? When persecutions or sufferings arise they will either recant their faith or desert the church. They care NOTHING for the flock When the wolf (or wolf in sheeps clothing) appears they let the false teacher/prophet ravage the sheep without saying anything against the lies.
The Wolf or wolf in sheep's clothing seeks to destroy the household of God. Jesus said these are men who pretend to be sheep but are inwardly ravaging wolves. Their purpose is to destroy our pure faith with lies, heresies and deception causing us to be preys of the evil one.
SO, where do you stand? Do you properly take care of those who have been entrusted to you? Are you vigilant to expose the wolves so that they do not endanger the sheep with deception and false gospel? and do you avoid hiring worthless shepherds (those who would divide the church with carelessness and who allow the ecumenical teaching into the church?
If you really do care, do you protect those in your church with your very own life? To what extent do you lay down your life? Do you put them before your own desires and wants, denying self. Giving not just your time and money but your very lives?
Or will you be a hireling? Or indeed are you a wolf?
Addition 12 Dec 2010
Please click on the following shortcut link which illustrates the false shepherds to avoid:
Posts
4 comments:
Hi Wary
I received 3 comments from you but am unsure whether you want me to publish them. Whenever you want me to publish simply say "please publish" or "do not publish".
The reason I am unsure is because you have given me your real name and the mail seems to be confidential.
I would like to publish some of it because you make some points I feel would be good to publish. Please write again just keeping the parts you want me to publish.
By the way, always remember that God always keeps a remnant of the faithful, like in Elijah's day (7000). It is just a question of finding them. Rejoice in the Lord always.
God bless
Hi John,
I posted a link I saw on Moriel's site. Have you seen this? It is pretty powerful when a Messianic Jewish Ministry speaks out against the Messianic Jewish Alliance of America and "calls them out" for this upcoming conference.
http://roshpinaproject.wordpress.com/2010/03/24/messianic-jewish-alliance-of-america-hosts-inspiration-ministries-televangelist/
Hi Tony
Sorry that I haven't replied - been busy. Yes, it is sad that American Messianic Fellowships are succumbing to this ecumenical root. Let's pray that the Lord will convict them through the ministry of Moriel. Especially as apostle Paul stated that the messianic Jews of the last days would bring the church from death to life.
We must ALWAYS speak the truth in love, admonishing (warning) those who are in the danger of "falling away".
Hi Wary
I did see your message regarding the email you sent to Elim and have published it, but not within this post.
Please see my post entitled "Why You cannot Trust Any Preacher Who Has Ecumenical Connections".
I felt it would be better and more appropriate to appear there. Therefore I have placed it there.
Post a Comment