One cannot escape the weeds growing with the wheat. Although Jesus used this analogy, we see it all over, everywhere in the world. Where we live we are coming out of winter. The grass’s growth stagnates during winter … yet the weeds grow. There are weeds and grass. Failure to remove these weeds before the grass turns green and starts growing means the weeds will blend with the grass and one won’t identify or distinguish the difference between grass and weeds. Sadly the weeds will have a detrimental effect upon the grass. As much as a pastor or his leadership don’t want to hear of it, imitation Christians come into the Church and hang around, mixing with real Christians. Once they have been accepted and loved they start to subtly expose their true colors and often, because they have been accepted and loved, one cannot see them for who they are … much like weeds in the grass once summer arrives! Maybe you have not seen it yet … but such “spiritual weeds” could became false teachers”. They have infiltrated the Church and do uncountable damage to the Cause of the Lord Jesus. In seeking to answer the question within a Church … “Why is leadership important?” … this is one important reasons! Now … we suddenly we arrive at one of the main reasons for proclaiming the Whole Counsel of God! That is the reason for discipleship. You remember our Lord’s Words? He said:
Mt 28:18 … “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Proclaiming the Whole Counsel of God is for the purpose of “making disciples”. Disciples will discern truth from error! Let us read again from:
Ac 20:29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
1) A sure knowledge of what will happen. False teachers are not a vague possibility. Paul says … “I know”. When we reflect upon the Old Testament and the prophets, we find there were false prophets amongst the people. Do you recall what the test for prophets were? How to detect a liar? There needed to be one hundred percent accuracy as to what he prophesied!
Deut 18:22 If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.
The reason for this is that God never tells lies!
Nu 23:19 God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Heb 6:18 God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie
You see, God spoke to the prophet is dreams, visions or some other manner. They were to relay His exact words to His people. They would start like this … “Thus saith the Lord.” The people in turn needed to listen, understand and do what the prophet said God told him to tell them. Often there were predictions about the future. Should what was predicted not come true … the prophet was a false prophet … a lair … not God’s man. He was a sheep stealer and a usurper of the prophetic office. Paul understood all this … and just as there were “imposters in pagan religions”, so he knew there would be in Christianity.
2) Deception will come. Paul’s point is not just for his environment. It is for today too. Imposters, false prophets and fake Christians will come into our Churches. Some of them will even rise to leadership positions of influence! As much as we don’t want to hear this, expect it. Be prepared. It will happen. Don’t be caught off guard! Because of the importance … and next to discipleship … this is a key reason for Biblical Leadership … please read again:
Ac 20:29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
(1) Fake leaders are cruel … savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock! The word “savage” relates to violent hostility. This means warfare. With “savage” coupled to “wolves”, someone rendered it as “heavy with wine.” Have you seen wolves hunting down and attacking a bear’s cub in the snow? Their aggression is maddening. Some try to lead the mother bear away from her cub whilst others attack the cub. Their frenzy could be compared to drunkards fighting, getting injured, bleeding, yet have no feeling because of their maddening obsession to achieve their goal … the bear cub for food. This is the picture when translated into the spiritual sphere … savage wolves not sparing the souls belonging to Jesus! Suddenly we start to see the great importance of Biblical Leadership! Protect the folk of Christ! All the Bible teaching about leadership is for this purpose! Fearless, accurate Biblical expositions. Preachers must never fear man. Never fear upsetting people. Personally, I lost members who tithed “big” because I taught the Bible. Fearless means dishing up a spiritual diet unpolluted by worldly infections … not to get rid of people but to help people understand God’s Truth to identify those ferocious agents of the devil who seek to collect souls for hell.
(2) Fake leaders are liars
Ac 20:30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth.
A liar is one who “distorts the truth”. Distort means at least three things.
(i) They twist Truth.
(ii) They dislocate Truth.
(iii) They confuse Truth. Beloved I cannot say it more or better … you must have the following …
(a) A desire to study the Bible correctly.
(b) A pastor teacher who fearlessly expounds God’s Word accurately. In the final analysis, the responsibility is yours and mine to protect the pulpit to protect the Church to protect God’s saints (souls).
(3) Fake leaders want to harvest followers. Their objective is not like ours. We seek souls to be harvested for Jesus and His Kingdom. We refuse to have people follow us! False teachers seek souls to follow them … in order to draw away disciples after them … and the tragedy is that these souls will follow them to hell.
Our Father, protect our Churches from such who serve the enemy by seeking souls for damnation. Grant Your Spirit in great measure. Amen.