Shepherds Are To Drive Out the Wolves

Douglas Lay April 8, 2022

Imagine to your surprise to learn that your spouse was mugged and assaulted in an unsafe part of the city, not by a stranger or a gang member, but by your own father! We don’t expect danger to come from within our own family.

We expect animosity and persecution to come from outside the church from the non-Christian world; we do not anticipate spiritual danger originating from within the church family. We are often shocked and overwhelmed when it happens.

Near the end of Paul’s third missionary journey, he meets with the elders from the church in Ephesus, with whom he had ministered for three years, to encourage them to “pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” The elders were expected to feed, mend, heal, and direct the members of the church—the sheep—and to protect them from the danger of the wolves.

What the elders did not expect was that the wolves would originate from within the flock, some from within the very elders themselves!

“I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears.” (Acts 20:17-35, ESV)

It would be a number of years later, near the end of Paul’s life, that he wrote to Timothy, his spiritual “intern” to return to the Ephesian church to train and prepare the elders how to shepherd the flock while eliminating the wolves from within.

1) Shepherds Are to Train for God’s Spiritual Kingdom

“If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths.

Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe. Command and teach these things. “ (I Timothy 4:6-11, ESV)

Shepherds serve the flock, the church, with the commitment, devotion, and focus of a well-trained athlete, exercised in the study, teaching, and practice of the scriptures to produce godliness and maturity. They painstakingly agonize over not only understanding the scriptures, but also communicating all of its truths to all people. They consistently command and teach the complete and full gospel truth.

Wolves Train for Their Own Personal Kingdom: They train for their own personal empire, their own kingdom, and their own reputation by ignoring the godliness of God’s creation, God’s sovereignty, and God’s purposes. They abandon the “words of faith” and the “good doctrine” rooted in the “living God who is the Savior of all people”. They place their hope in their name, their skills, and their authority. They exchange God’s godliness for their own “irreverent, silly myths”.

2) Shepherds Set a Personal Example

“Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” (I Timothy 4:12, ESV)

Shepherds are not intimidated by their lack of experience, knowledge, or skills. Rather, they strive to model the Christian life for the flock through their truthful words, their unimpeachable behavior, their pastoral love, their steadfast trust, and their pure motives.

Wolves Flaunt Their Own Authority: They elevate their own anointed authority by demeaning and devaluing the “youth” of others—those younger in age, younger in education, younger in experience, younger in wealth, younger in influence, and younger in skills—more than themselves.

3) Shepherds Identify the Authority of Scriptures

“Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.” (I Timothy 4:13, ESV)

They place the highest priority on exposing the church to the word of God, to accepting the truth of Christ, and to practicing all of the counsel of God. They submit their own opinions and insights to the authority and rule of the Word of God. They preach Christ crucified, not personal glory.

Wolves Teach Their Own Opinions: They devote themselves to their own opinions, their own goals, their own insights, and their own “prophecies”, diluting the authority of the Word of God. They demand submission and obedience to their vision, shutting down any and all questions and criticism.

4) Shepherds Exercise Spiritual Gifts to Serve the Church

“Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.” (I Timothy 4:14, ESV)

They understand and fully utilize all of God’s spiritual gifts to serve and build-up the church for the glory of God. They welcome and promote the diversity of all the members’ gifts to promote the growth and unity of the flock.

Wolves Misuse Their Gifts to Rule Over the Church: They over-emphasize their gifts as they devalue the gifts of others to establish their own proclaimed yet misguided absolute authority. They remind the members of their complete dependency upon his gifts, skills, and experiences.

5) Shepherds Demonstrate Spiritual Progress

“Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.”

(I Timothy 4:15, ESV)

They live out their Christian life, its successes and failures, in front of the flock, modeling the process of godly living. They welcome critique, assessment, and discipline to grow up in the faith.

Wolves Hide Their Sinful Nature: They hide and cover-up their failures, sins, and mistakes while presenting a false public personal of spiritual growth. They are all too ready to show off their pretentious maturity while living a life of hypocrisy. They engage in fake humility and insincere repentance to hide their true calloused and hardened heart.

6) Shepherds Show Personal Consistency

“Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (I Timothy 4:16, ESV)

They first and foremost care for their own godly walk and doctrine to prepare themselves to best encourage the flock to faithfully obey the Lord.

Wolves Criticize the Failures of Others: They focus on pinpointing the weakness and shortcomings of others while ignoring their own ungodly behaviors. They are all too ready to criticize the smallest teaching errors of others while flaunting their own self-deceived masterful understanding of the scriptures.

7) Shepherds Love Others as Family

“Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.” (I Timothy 5:1-2, ESV)

They equally treat all of their flock as family, loving and accepting them regardless of their age, their gender, their race, or their status. They value the diversity of the flock by embracing all believers as members of the one family of God.

Wolves Practice Nepotism: They surround themselves with their own trusted family members and/or closest friends while keeping those outside of the inner circle at a distance. They provide special privileges, promotions, and access to them not permitted to the vast majority of the church members. They live in a bubble of “yes men”, ignoring the criticism, correction, or advice of anyone not included in their “family”.