Aside from teaching the Word of God, it is also a pastor's responsibility to protect the congregants from false teachers. In doing such, a minister shared the ways on how a shepherd can guard his flock.
As the Bible warns of "wolves in sheep's clothing" who will come against the people of God, Dr. Joseph Mattera pointed out that protecting the latter lies in the hands of their church leaders.
"Shepherds are called to oversee the flock that was purchased with the blood of Jesus. Part of that role involves guarding and protecting the flock against adversaries, wolves in sheep's clothing and other challenges," he wrote on Charisma Magazine, citing Acts 20:28-30.
"...a shepherd's calling also involves being a warrior who protects the flock, not just feeding and comforting them," he also stated.
Dr. Mattera is an author, theologian, founding pastor of Resurrection Church in New York and convenor of The United States Coalition of Apostolic Leaders. He is also the founder of the organizations Christ Covenant Coalition and City Action Coalition.
Given this danger, the pastor shared seven factors which "true shepherds" must protect the flock from.
True Shepherds Protect The Flock From Seven Things
First, false doctrines.
He warned that the Christian faith, which the Bible explains in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Ephesians 4:4-6 and Hebrews 5:12-6:4, will be attacked with deceptive teachings, as the Bible states in Jude 3. Thus, leaders must ensure that "the church remains rooted and grounded in the faith."
Next, false brethren.
He described the false brethren as people "who have infiltrated the church with false teachings or with an agenda or vision different from the purpose, vision and teachings of Scripture." This, he said, includes the "female deceivers" described in Revelation 2:20. Recalling Paul's statement in 2 Corinthians 11:26, Dr. Mattera stressed that it is "the job of a true shepherd" to protect the flock from these individuals.
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Third, false prophecies.
Sharing the Bible's warning against lying prophets in Jeremiah 23 who only speak "out of their spirit" and do not "represent the mind and heart of God," the pastor underscored that "true shepherds" must protect the flock from their influence.
"...true shepherds are called to help the church discern between true and false prophetic utterances," he further said.
Fourth, division.
Dr. Mattera said that as commanded in Titus 3:10-11, the shepherds of the church must protect the flock from people who are causing division. He added that in Romans 16:17, Paul even encourages the church to "mark" this kind of individuals and inform the members of whom they should avoid and be wary of.
Fifth, spirit of control.
Like Diotrephes whom John warned the church against in 3 John 1:9-11, the theologian declared that a "true shepherd" must call out people "who wish to exert unbiblical control over the flock of God."
Sixth, favoritism.
As James cautioned against showing favoritism to the rich over the poor in James 2:1-9, the minister said that "true shepherds" must love and treat everyone equally. He went on to say that the spirit of favoritism creates "an idolatrous celebrity culture that destroys an authentic Christ-centered culture in a congregation."
Finally, false ministry gifts.
As God has blessed the church with five areas of ministry, Dr. Mattera warned against the enemy's desire to infiltrate the church "with false representations of ministry to deceive the flock." And thus for the church's edification, he emphasized the significance of the shepherds' enforcement of biblical standards and discernment on this matter.
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