Acts 20:28-30
“28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the
flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the
church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous
wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking
perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”
In this passage we see Paul's warning to the Elders of the
church at Ephesus. He gave similar warnings in his letters to Timothy and Titus
when he was teaching them and preparing those two brethren for the ministry. It
is a hard cold fact that there were in that day and in every time since those
who seek to kill and destroy the Lord's churches. Sadly those Paul refers to
here and in other of his writings are from within the churches themselves. Men
who seek self glorification or fame and fortune. Men who will teach enough
truth to captivate the people and draw them to themselves while all the time
slowly interjecting doctrine contrary to God's Word. Until they have drawn away
God's very elect out of a true church into a den of thieves.
As Pastors and Elders we must be on guard of such. Our Lord
commanded and Paul and others in the New Testament taught we must feed the
churches of God the truth of God's Word and only that truth that is within His
Word. When we prepare our sermons and lessons we must seek Christ from His Word
and not from some false prophet whose goal is to add to his self proclaimed
realm. Commentaries and dictionaries and other resources can be a help if they
are from those whose taught truth. But we must be cautious and ever mindful of
those who have written and preached false doctrine. Many a writer claiming to
proclaim truth, with a little research, have been found to be false teaches and
drawing the Lord's people away from the truth for self profit and self
glorification.
Praise ye the Lord!!!
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