INTERNET SOURCE: http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in-the-line-of-fire/52827-a-warning-to-shepherds-who-mislead-the-sheep
A Warning to Shepherds
Who Mislead the Sheep
Some
of the strongest warnings in the Bible are directed to leaders who mislead
God's people, to prophets and priests and pastors and teachers who by their
example or their doctrine lead the sheep into sinful conduct and destructive
beliefs.
Be
very careful not to hurt God's flock! You are touching the apple of His eye,
and He does not take this lightly.
Recently,
I was speaking to a pastor about a major church in his city that had just
announced its support for committed homosexual unions, sending shockwaves
throughout the region, since it is a highly influential church that claims to
be "evangelical."
I
said to him, "There are obviously other areas of compromise in their
midst," to which he replied, "When we met with the one of their key
pastors, he explained that he was now 'inclusive' when it came to
salvation"—meaning that people of all religions are saved through Jesus,
even if they don't believe in Him, as long as they don't willfully opt out. The
pastor also told me that, "The leader I was speaking with dropped
(expletives) during our interaction and then lit up a cigarette as soon as we
went outside."
Is
it any surprise that this pastor has now changed his beliefs about
homosexuality?
Every
leader sets an example for better or worse, and when our example is
substandard, it is not only repeated by those who follow us, it is exaggerated,
opening up a floodgate of destruction on those for whom Jesus died.
We
dare not play games with the lives of those who were purchased at the high cost
of Jesus' blood. As Paul said to the Ephesian elders, "Therefore take heed
to yourselves and to the entire flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you
overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own
blood" (Acts 20:28).
When
God spoke to Jeremiah about the sins of the false prophets, he was devastated:
"My heart is broken within me, because of the prophets; all my bones
shake; I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the
LORD, and because of His holy words" (Jeremiah 23:9; I once heard a
preacher use this verse to justify getting "drunk in the Spirit";
what an abuse of the Word!).
The
prophets of Samaria had been guilty of prophesying in the name of Baal,
misleading the nation. But what the prophets of Jerusalem did was even worse,
"I have seen also among the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible
thing. They commit adultery and walk in lies. They also strengthen
the hands of evildoers, so that no one repents from his
wickedness. All of them are as Sodom to Me and her inhabitants as
Gomorrah" (Jeremiah 23:14).
They
prophesied in the Lord's name but lived in sin and led the people into sin. As
a result, the ungodly were strengthened, the godly were discouraged, and no one
turned from evil.
And
it was the sin of the false prophets that led to the destruction of Jerusalem:
"Your prophets have seen for you false and deceptive visions; they have
not revealed your iniquity, to bring back your captives, but have seen for
you oracles that are false and misleading" (Lamentations 2:14).
To
God's people, I say in the strongest possible terms: Beware of those who make
light of sin, who trivialize holiness, who throw a wet blanket on the fires of
conviction, who minimize repentance, and who brand others
"legalistic" and "religious" because of their devotion to
the Lord. Beware!
Such
shepherds do not have the heart of God and, rather than protecting the sheep,
are leading them to slaughter.
Paul
was so burdened about false teachers that he warned the Ephesian believers
about this for three years, night and day with tears, saying, "I know that
after my departure, dreadful wolves will enter among you, not sparing
the flock. Even from among you men will arise speaking perverse things, to draw
the disciples away after them" (Acts 20:29-30).
That's
why he exhorted Timothy, as a young leader, to "be an example to the
believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, and in
purity," reminding him to "take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.
Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who
hear you" (1 Timothy 4:12, 16).
Pastors,
when you indulge in ungodly entertainment and compromised living then
demonstrate your "freedom" by speaking about it from the pulpit,
referencing the latest unclean movie in your oh-so-cool sermons, you spew filth
on those whom Jesus has cleansed, encouraging them to follow in your
footsteps—and beyond.
You
will have to answer to God for this one day. (I write this while trembling on
the inside.)
It's
the same when you minimize God's standards for marriage, divorcing and
remarrying without cause.
There
is spiritual and moral blood on your hands.
And
what of those who preach deceptive and destructive doctrines of carnal
prosperity, appealing to greed and motivated by greed, manipulating the
gullible flock to their personal financial gain? What does God say to them?
In
the words of Peter, "They have eyes full of adultery that cannot cease
from sin. They entice unstable souls. Their hearts are trained in greed. They
are cursed children!" (2 Peter 2:14).
Perhaps
many of our contemporary leaders have not fallen this far, but to the extent we
are leading God's people away from purity and truth by our example and our
teaching, we are in serious danger.
Repent,
my fellow leaders, before it is too late, "For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his recompense in
the body, whether it was good or bad" (2 Corinthians 5:10).
And
to the sheep who are being misled, I urge you in the fear of the Lord: Run for
your lives and get into a place of health and safety. There are plenty of godly
leaders who will help you, not harm you.
And
to each of those godly leaders I say, "Be strong and be faithful. Your
reward will be great."
Michael Brown is
the host of the nationally syndicated talk radio show The Line of Fire and is the president of FIRE School of Ministry.
His newest book is Outlasting the Gay Revolution: Where Homosexual Activism Is
Really Going and How to Turn the Tide.
Connect with him on Facebook at AskDrBrown or on Twitter @drmichaellbrown.
