The key verses today remind us of the realities to which we speak. Breaking down the verses will feed us and show us the truths God wants us to be aware of when it comes to false teaching. These verses are Paul's final words to the elders at the Church of Ephesus. The first admonition is that we are to guard ourselves and God's people. Guarding ourselves deals with our own theology and ensuring we stick to Word of God. When Paul was saying farewell to his protege Timothy he told him to only guard two things! His life and his doctrine. Why?
Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. - 1Timothy 4: 16 (NIV)
It is our doctrine that ensures our hearers are meeting the right Jesus. It has to be about the people that are in the pews not the pulpit. Note however from the key verses that we also are to guard God's people! They need guarding! We are supposed to feed them. Not rotten meat and spoiled milk but the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not just the seeker friendly parts. Not just the purpose driven parts. Not just the hyper grace parts. All of it. In this same farewell, Paul declares himself innocent of the Ephesians blood because he did not hesitate to proclaim the entire Gospel to them!
Next in the key verses Paul reminds the Ephesian elders and us today that the church was purchased with the blood of Jesus. It is not some trifle to play games with. It is not some casual thing that can be altered and massaged to fit some carnal man made agenda. Oh that people would discover the reverent fear of the Lord again! This is not about hurting the fragile sensibilities of your favorite false prophet. It is about the fact that God does not want any to perish and so many are marching down the broad path, singing kumbya, and holding hands with someone claiming to be a man of God but who does not introduce him to God.
Next we see the nature of false teachers. Paul does not mince words here. He is not concerned about hurting the feelings of anyone. He is certainly not concerned about creating a false sense of unity. They are vicious wolves beloved. They will not spare the flock! I am sure that Joel Osteen does not fancy himself a vicious wolf but it is his teaching that is not sparing the flock of God. When you sell a compromised Christ you end up with a compromised salvation.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. - Romans 1: 16 (NIV)
Do we get this? It is not unity that brings salvation - it is the Gospel! It is not the gospel of grace, as Prince likes to say. It is not the gospel of prosperity that hucksters like Creflo Dollar and Kenneth Copeland sell. It is not the gospel of self help and motivation that Joel Osteen preaches. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, - 1Corinthians 15: 1-4 (NIV)
