BE ON GUARD!

BE ON GUARD!

Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. —-Acts 20:28-31

We need to be watchful shepherds over ourselves (leadership) and over all the flock of God. Leaders were made overseers of the church by the Holy Spirit of God which Jesus purchased with His blood. This is an awesome responsibility.

The passage above tells us that there will be wolves that rise among the flock, will not spare the flock, they will distort the truth with the intent of drawing disciples away after themselves. Be on guard!

Years ago, when I was a very young follower of Jesus, I talked to a leader about the wheat and tares and talked about tares being in the church. He said, “Tares would not be in the church.” Well, if he was talking about the True Universal Church then he would be correct. Only believers can be a part of that Church. But, he appeared to be talking about the local church he was pastoring. I would disagree with him. More than likely there are tares among the wheat in a local church. It is highly unlikely that just because a people come to a church building that they all are necessarily part of the Universal Church.

Nor is it likely that just because people come to a Christian gathering of any sort that they are necessarily part of the Universal Church. Tares will come in among the wheat. There will be lost people among the saved. But, they will hear the Word of God and need to. May the Lord have mercy on them. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8umfBRlwW8

Dear Father, may I be faithful in sharing Your Word in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. Yes, may I just be faithful in this out of love for You and for people. May it be so.