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All Heresy is Local - When Your Pastor Turns Out to Be a Hireling

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Sometimes we read these verses and think they only apply to slaves; forgetting that we are bondservants to Christ. But look how we are to approach our servitude! Not by the way of eye-service. Not as people-pleasers. We are to do the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord. Hallelujah! When we actually understand who we are in Christ and who we serve there is no wound that man can inflict that He cannot heal.

The second lesson is that we are to learn from it. We are not meant to merely experience pain and hurt but learn from it. God collects our tears in His bottle the Psalmist tells us. He saves our pain yet we try to follow the worldly advice of learning to cope with it. God does not want you living with it! Learn from it and move on.

Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. - Romans 16: 17 (KJV)

There is a lot of talk these days from false teachers pretending that those who call them out are causing division. Unbiblical nonsense! This verse clearly explains that it is false doctrine and those espousing it that cause the division. It is the wolf and the hireling that cause division. This verse instructs us to do two things. Mark them and avoid them! We mark them because we now know what they really are and avoid them so we do not make the same mistakes. In other words, learn from what happened beloved.

The third lesson we need to remember is that no one gets away with anything. Vengeance is always the Lords. Sometimes I amazed at quickly we forget that God sees everything. Deep down into the blackest parts of our perpetually wicked hearts. No one gets away with anything beloved. We serve an infinitely just God. Think about these words from Jesus:

I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." - Matthew 12: 36-37 (ESV)

If God will hold us to account for every careless word do we really think He will not do the same for careless and egregious acts against His sheep? Remember, no matter what the Andy Stanley's of the world think, Jesus is the Good Shepherd! They are all His sheep first! You will answer for leaving the pen door open hireling! You will answer for pushing the sheep away and allowing them to wander off. You will answer for the spiritual bullying and every drop of blood you shed from the sheep of the Lord. You will answer for what you taught them and what you allowed them to be taught. There is a reason why the Bible says that those who labor in preaching and teaching will be held to a higher standard. Wounded sheep should take some solace in this:

Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. - Acts 20: 26-27 (ESV)

This is the Apostle Paul saying goodbye to the elders at Ephesus and the inference cannot be clearer. When you choose to not feed your flock correctly you are not declaring the whole counsel of God. When you allow wolves to come in and tear them apart, you are denying them the whole counsel of God. Their blood will be upon you hireling.

The betrayal and pain is real. I often lament the day I realized that not everyone who is in church is there for Jesus and that extends to the leadership. They are just men too. But we serve God not man. We are called to learn from our experiences so we might heal and help others. Lastly, we are to take refuge in the truth that God will hold everyone to account. Remember beloved that the hireling is not of Christ. They do not know Him or else they would fear Him. That is the very beginning of Godly wisdom. The people who stand before Him on the last day saying "Lord Lord" are very real. They will have spent this life thinking they were serving God but never even really knowing Him. That is an eternally sad prospect beloved. When your pastor turns out to be a hireling just remember that they will answer; as we all will one day.

Reverend Anthony Wade - October 26, 2015

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Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to (more...)
 
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