In our last post, we looked at the fact that some people in your church are sheep and some are goats, and how you as a pastor can tell the difference. Often the people themselves do not know the difference! Many goats in your church think they are sheep but they are always fighting, always jumping out the fence to find something better. It’s true! They think they are correctable, but all correction must be received on their terms! That’s not correctable!.
Now, I want to let you know that some people in your church are also wolves. The easiest way to sum up the difference is sheep eat grass, goats eat rubbish, but wolves eat sheep.
David, our prototype pastor, found out that when you look after sheep, other animals will come and try and kill them. He had to chase and fight a lion, he had to chase and fight a bear. Now, I have never fought a lion in the physical realm, but I can assure you I have had to fight more than one wolf in the spiritual as they came into our church for only one reason – to attack and steal the sheep.
Oh they can wear sheep’s clothings and look amazing, and look like good little nice Christians, but they only want to stop people coming to church, to hurt people, to destroy people. I have on occasion literally thrown people out of church, in one instance while a youth pastor, I physically picked a young man up and took him outside as he was only after a young lady to seduce and corrupt and hurt.
When people see a pastor dealing with a wolf, most people are unaware the person is a wolf, and their first instinct is to look at you and presume that you are impatient, unloving, unkind, intolerant, etc etc. That’s not a nice place to be in – you rescue your sheep from a violent, nasty, spiteful, vicious animal and save them from destruction and they then turn on you for being too aggressive!
No matter what people think of you, no matter who misjudges you, listen to me pastor – do not tolerate and put up with wolf in your sheepfold. You take your sling, you take your whatever and you do not let that wolf do anything. They have come to steal, kill and destroy your church and the people in it.
Some come as a false prophet giving people false words and manipulating them. We have had people give others in the church words like “you do not need to go to church that often, God says that’s ok”, or “you do not need to tithe, God knows your heart”, or some such – that’s demonic! That is a wolf. It’s not a misguided sheep, it is a wolf. That false prophet is destroying your people and if you do not act to keep them safe, that is in you, God appointed you the shepherd and it’s your responsibility to keep the sheep safe.
Now, because we are Christians and not thugs, we confront in private. We don’t gossip, but we sometimes have to make it exceptionally clear to people: as long as you embrace this attitude and do this action you are not welcome to join our people. When you change, you meet me for coffee first and we discuss it before you come back.
When that happens, don’t expect the wolf to smile and agree. Or they may, but if they do they are lying. Expect them to text people in the church, to arrange to meet people in the church, to run the church down and keep trying to devour the people. But that’s then on the sheep, you have done what God has called you to do – keep the sheep safe.
There are several people who years ago said to me “Ben, you are being too harsh on this person” but then they are now pastors themselves, and they have come back to me and said “Now I get it”. Often the sheep will never get it, they will never understand. The sheep think a wolf in sheep’s clothing is a sheep, but you know better.
I have experienced wolves at every step of my ministry. But the good news is we have never had a church split, we have never had to deal with false doctrine, we have never been an unhealthy church – because when I see a wolf, I chase that wolf. I deal with it. I won’t let a wolf be in my congregation, and I certainly will not platform a wolf.
Several times, people have interrupted a church service to prophesy over me either judgment or a certain direction I should go. But I am a pastor, a shepherd, and I will shut that down. I stood down a pastor once for not correcting false prophets in the church because that is not keeping the sheep safe. I have had guest speakers try and find out who the richest people in the church are and try and manipulate them for money. They do not get invited back. I have had worship leaders who will not open their Bibles, will not give a penny to the church, and will not follow simple instructions and are totally unteachable. They are not platformed again.
This is how you keep the sheep safe. I now only invite travelling ministers who I know they know they are there to help me as the shepherd build the church. I cannot equip the saints by my own, but I am very selective about the other ministers I invite.
I only platform and promote people I know have my back. When an elder says “I do give, but just not to this ministry”, then it is time to ask them to go be an elder for that ministry. You are looking for a platform, not a partnership, and I am not interested. I am not looking for someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to get into ministry and make a name for themselves – remember lone wolves are nearly always wolves!
Pastor, deal with the wolves, no matter the consequences. Get out there and fight for your sheep.
Inspiring and Challenging Dreamers 