Inwardly

 In his exhortation to the Ephesian elders, Paul described two types of dangers that would assail the church once he was no more. First, savage wolves would come in among them, and second, men from among them would try to draw away disciples after themselves. The latter category wouldn’t be trying to draw disciples away to themselves by preaching the gospel or speaking the truth but by speaking perverse things.

The more I read what Paul wrote to the Ephesian elders, the more questions I have. It goes to reason that if someone saw a wolf approaching, they would either try to chase it off with a stick or anything handy and with a point. If they couldn’t manage to fend it off, they would at least bar the door so the wolf couldn’t get in. That Paul knew with certainty that savage wolves would come in among them tells me that Paul understood the mechanisms by which the enemy infiltrates a church.

Jesus forewarned His disciples before Paul met with Him on the road to Damascus. He elucidated the matter by warning that the wolves would employ camouflage to worm their way into the congregation of the saints.

Matthew 7:15, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”

The easiest way to creep into any congregation is to declare yourself a prophet of the Lord and say that you come with a message from the almighty. Because the only scriptures we know by heart nowadays are the ones about the good measure that will be pressed down, shaken together, and running over, such individuals have an easy time gaining access to the ears and hearts of the sheep.

Especially if the message they’re supposed to declare to the church body has to do with their pastor and how the Lord will use him to win the nations, or something equally boisterous, like being the first missionary to Mars, they’ll have free reign of the pulpit for as long as they need. By the time anyone’s the wiser, seeds have been planted, the division has been sown, and heartache and heartbreak are soon to follow.

It’s easy to spot a wolf in sheep’s clothing because he’ll be speaking perverse things and things demonstrably unbiblical. They may start out mimicking a true believer, but eventually, the mask comes off, and they start to feast. If you’re not prepared for the eventuality that a wolf may attempt to sneak among the sheep disguised as a sheep, sharp fangs will be at your throat before you can sound the alarm.

Because everything nowadays must be nuanced, save someone burn their esophagus because nobody told them coffee was hot, the barometer, plumb line, and litmus test as to whether someone is a wolf, a false prophet, or a false teacher is the Bible. Not your opinion, not whether you like their delivery, not whether you think they’re overdressed or underdressed, or if they have a beard, a goatee, or that streamlined look I gravitate toward nowadays.

My grandpa was a preacher, my dad’s a preacher, and I’m a preacher too. Each had different delivery, cadence, sermon structure, and energy level. That never entered the equation, as it shouldn’t. Although my dad’s soft-spoken, my grandfather was more enthusiastic, and I fall somewhere in the middle, we all strive to be biblical.

Don’t confuse not liking someone’s delivery or the fact that they’re a topical preacher rather than an exegetical one for them being of evil intent. Content matters more than delivery, whether expository, textual, or topical. Are they honoring Jesus as Lord and King? Are they preaching the gospel? Are they rightly dividing the word?

Not everyone can be everyone else’s cup of tea. There are preachers I can’t listen to because their tonal range irritates my ears. That doesn’t mean they’re not biblical; I just don’t like their voice. And so, rather than listen to their sermons, I read what they write or leave the captions on and mute them altogether.

Some of the guys I like you may not like, and that’s fine as well, but whomever you gravitate toward as far as your spiritual nourishment, make sure they’re Biblical! Don’t just do it once and forget about it; sample the food to see if it’s still nourishing. People change. I’ve seen it. It’s sad and disappointing, but we soldier on toward the prize and the crown.

I can’t even count the number of restaurants I stopped going to because something changed, and the food was no longer good. Whether it was new management, a new chef, or a new supplier, the food wasn’t worth the drive, the wait, or the money. That’s why I like gas station grilled cheese sandwiches. They never disappoint. Even when they do, they’re only a dollar.

Some people live with the memory of how good a place was until they go back and realize it’s not what it used to be. Very few remain consistent through the years, and to those that do, God bless you, and may you never compromise.

Right now, you’re thinking to yourself, is he talking about restaurants or preachers, or both? I’ll let you decide. For now, I’ve made myself hungry with all this talk about food. The question is, will I riffle through a few pages of Gurnall’s tome, or will I go get a grilled cheese?

With love in Christ,

Michael Boldea, Jr