Grace Bible Church Gillette, Wyoming

1. Paul exhorted the Ephesian elders to protect the flock from false teachers (28-31). But in order to fulfill that, there was a prerequisite, namely to “be on guard for yourselves.”

2. In order to be an example to others, to teach others, and to keep others from following false teaching, the elders had to maintain first and foremost their own spiritual lives.

3. The phrase “be on guard” is the Greek word prosecho, which means, “turning or holding one's mind to someone or something” (Friberg). It would imply paying careful attention to their own spiritual lives as well as the spiritual lives of the flock.

4. The verb is a present active imperative that could be translated, “you must keep on being on guard.” It is personal and emphatic because the word “yourselves” (eautois) is added. Spiritual life must first be personal and prominent before someone can oversee it in the life of others.

5. Jesus used the same word and it is most often translated as “beware” (NASB). The areas that Jesus applied this warning were: (1) of outward appearances (Mt 6:1), (2) of false prophets (Mt 7:15), (3) of persecution (Mt 10:17), (4) of false teaching of Pharisees (Mt 16:6), (5) of unforgiveness (Lk 17:3), (6) of hearts weighed down with sin and worries of the world (Lk 21:34).

a) BE ON GUARD.

b) 3. Take heed to yourselves, lest your example contradict your doctrine, and lest you lay such stumbling–blocks before the blind, as may be the occasion of their ruin; lest you unsay with your lives, what you say with your tongues; and be the greatest hindrances of the success of your own labors.... Reformed Pastor - Richard Baxter

B. Shepherd the Church of God

1. The importance of spiritual leadership was understood by the fact that the Holy Spirit had made them “overseers” (episkopos - scope over). The Holy Spirit leads and guides in the appointment and administration of church leadership.

2. It was this local flock (or church) and beyond that the elders were to “shepherd” (poimainō - tend, feed, herd).

3. Shepherding in the church has many facets (administration, provision, caring cf. 1Pe 5:2-3) but the most important facet is feeding the flock with the Word of God.

4. When the resurrected Christ commissioned Peter three times, He commanded Peter to feed the flock (Jn 21:15, 17, “tend” boskō - to feed).

5. Peter taught that believers need the spiritual milk of the Word to grow in their spiritual lives (1Pe 2:2). The writer of Hebrews reproved his readers for being immature and subsisting on only milk and not the solid food of deeper truths (He 5:12).

6. The way to keep the flock from false teaching is by teaching the truth of the Word of God (Ep 4:14-15).

7. The flock (church) belongs to God because Christ purchased it with His own (idios - one’s own, emphatic) blood (1Pe 1:18-19). Elders (shepherds) do not possess the flock but are spiritual caretakers of it.

C. Savage Wolves Will Attack (29)

1. Paul exhorted the elders that as soon as he left the area, false teachers would move in. This implies two things. First, Paul was so strong in teaching and defending the faith that he kept the false teachers at bay. Now in Paul’s absence, the Ephesian elders must rise to the occasion. Second, though the false teachers were kept at bay, they would infiltrate at the first opportunity.

2. False teachers are described by Paul as “wolves.” Wolves are known for their prowess, cunning, and destruction in killing. They have been described by some as “killing machines,” which kill not only for survival but also for the pure sake of killing. In comparison, false teachers are not interested in sparing the the flock of God. Instead, they are “savage” which is the Greek word barus and literally means “heavy.” Figuratively it can refer to false teachers who are “vicious” and destructive to the flock of God.

3. Jesus Himself used the metaphor of wolves for false teachers (Mt 7:15 cf. Mt 10:16). He called them “ravenous” (harpax) which is descriptive of wolves, which seize, shred, and devour its prey (cf. Ge 49:27). Peter gives an accurate description of false prophets (2Pe 2:1-3).

4. False teachers do not care for the well-being of those under their dominance. They are concerned only with their own following (“to draw away disciples after them” vs. 30), their own glory, and their own lusts. They not only teach things contrary to the Scripture, but they do so in a deceitful manner, hence the metaphor “wolves in sheep’s clothing” (cf. Ep 4:14).

5. Why are false teachers described as savage and ravenous wolves? The answer is that they send people to hell with their false doctrines (Mt 7:13-14; 21-23; Gal 1:8-9). They bring believers into bondage when Christ gave them freedom and deliverance (Gal 2:4). They lead Christian into a false view about God, a false view toward worship, and a false view of Christian living. Because of this, all NT writers deal with false teachers and exhort believers to contend for the faith (Jude 1:3).

D. Some Within Will Attack (30)

1. Paul also warned the elders that there would be false teachers from within the church as well as from without. It almost sounds strange that such a thing could occur.

2. However, error may start from without through Satan and the world, but in order for a church to fall into error, error must enter in through those inside the church (Jude 1:4).

3. What is error or false teaching? It is the distortion of true doctrine. False teachers whether inside or outside, speak “perverse” things. “Perverse” is the Greek word is diastrephō and literally means to turn or twist. False teachers twist and distort the truth (Gal 1:7 - metastrephō, 2Pe 3:16 - strebloō).

E. Stay on the Alert (31)

1. Paul’s conclusion was that the Ephesian elders continually had to stay on the “alert” (grêgoreō - keep awake and watchful).

2. Paul did not only warn the Ephesians about false teachers at Miletus. He had been warning “each one” of them for a period of three years. The “admonition” (noutheō warn - Col 1:28) against false teaching was a main theme of the apostle Paul.

3. In addition, he did so with tears because false teaching distorts God’s truth, because there was a constant onslaught of the attack of the truth, and because of the consequences that would happen if the church succumbed to error.

4. Paul had good reason to warn the Ephesians about false teachers while he was with them and in his last appeal at Miletus. Not very long after Paul’s exhortation to the Ephesian elders, false teachers moved into to the church.

5. Paul wrote to Timothy, who was the pastor of the Ephesian, mentioning the false teaching that had already moved in (1Ti 1:3-7), as well as particular false teachers from within (1Ti 1:19-20; 2Ti 2:17-18; 2Ti 1:15 cf. Ep 5:11).

6. In fact, approximately 30 yrs after Paul ministered in Ephesus, John wrote to the Churches of Asia Minor and false teaching had completely invaded it (Nicolaitans - Re 2:6, Synagogue of Satan - Re 2:9, doctrine of Balaam - Re 14, false prophetess Jezebel - Re 2:20).

V. OBSERVATIONS AND APPLICATIONS

A. Reason for GBC’s Apologetics

1. “Love Wins” bumper sticker - Rob Bell -

2. Christian Mysticism

3. Spiritual Warfare Movement

4. Apologetics - and Classical Apologetics

5. Ladies Bible study, certain studies - Beth Moore, ladies were on board, in fact any we have asked not to study they went along with. To their credit, one of the names they had reminded me that I had previously had a problem with a particular women. That’s great. That is exactly what you want.

6. This is why we spent all those weeks on John MacArthur’s “Strange Fire” Session.

a) Kim Clement the singing Prophet

(1) I'm also a musician. I'm a professional musician, but I gave my talent to God. And so, I'm a psalmist. So when you join me in praise and worship you're not just gonna sing songs that you know or that you've been taught, you're gonna sing what we call a 'new song'.

(2) What happens is it unlocks a prophetic voice from inside of you. Whatwhat is more easy than that? Think about it. You can actually sing along with us and suddenly you find yourself prophesying. This is what I do for the people of God

7. Inerrancy Battles

a) MacArthur - Consequences of Non-Expository Preaching

(1) Protect the Sheep

(a) Unless we….

(i) Clarify doctrine

(ii) Defend threatened truth

(iii) Guard the truth of Scripture

(iv) Expose Error

(b) We will not guard our people from false teaching unless we preach the Word expositionally.

8. BioLogos (Christian Based scientist promoting - Theistic Evolution) - Bruce Waltke wrote an article for them which eventually led to his resignation from Reformed Theological Seminary.

B. How does it comes into church

1. Some come with an agenda

2. Sin cause - sin in marriage relationship all of sudden support divorce

3. Desire for novelty

4. Desire for glory

C. Be on the alert for false teaching.

Grace Bible Church · 4000 E. Collins Rd · PO Box #3762 · Gillette, WY · (307) 686-1516