The Shameful Shepherd (Part 5)

Pastors who pervert their people.




The Believers at Galatia had a serious problem going on. They were being misled. They were being taught that they had to add the law of Moses to salvation and sanctification. Paul asked the church of Galatia "WHO HATH BEWITCHED YOU?". WHO has given you bad doctrine? Who was it? Paul wasn't asking hypothetically. He wanted to know. The church was being led back into Judaism instead of the new and living way. Paul spent much of his writings addressing false doctrines. I and II Corinthians, he had to address the false teachings concerning the Resurrection and the Ordinances of the Lord's supper. Not to mention the misapplication of Biblical Separation and Holiness before God. They had believers going to court to settle lawsuits and grievances against each other. Paul was astonished at the ignorance of the people in Corinth. They were do divided that they didn't even know how to conduct a simple service. "IS CHRIST DIVIDED?" There was a man living in complete incest with his Father's wife. They were eating meats offered to idols. They were ignorantly following seditions and heresies. In I and II Thessalonians, people were being taught that the rapture had already happened. That Christ had already come and that they were already living in the tribulation. Paul sent Titus to set things in order. Young Timothy was sent to delegate leaders to teach and admonish the people of God with the truth of God. False Doctrine is not a new problem facing the church. For centuries people have been PERVERTING the people of God with man made doctrines, heresies, and doctrines of man and not of God.

Independent Fundamental Baptists are not exempt. We stand firm on the Inspiration and Preservation of the Bible, but to a point where we idolize it. We stand firm on the Blood atonement, and then fall into the mysticism which the Pentecostals present.
We are INDEPENDENT BAPTISTS but forget that we are part of the Body of Christ. We exalt numbers and offerings instead of making Christ the end to our means. Instead, Christ is made the means to our end. Pastors all over the globe have fallen into the conquest of Man's praise instead of the Glory of God. Pastors have turned and are perverting their people with doctrines and traditions which add wood, hay, and stubble to their eternal reward. We can measure the length of our skirts but we lack the meek and quiet spirit coupled with fear. We adorn ourselves in fine apparel but inwardly we are full of dead mans bones. We masquerade ourselves as being fashionable and upright in our conduct but inwardly ICHABOD is written across the entrance of our heart. We build bigger buildings and boast of new ministries and great attendances, offerings, and results; but God is not within a million miles of us because we have perverted his people. We have taught damnable heresies. We have turned the sheep against the shepherd. We, like Absalom have turned the people's heart from the king.

Isaiah 10:1-2 "Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!"

Ezekiel 13:1-3 "And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"

II Peter 2

It is a sad thought that there are Pastors out there who ignorantly teach their people wrong applications to Biblical Truths. Those who promote a works based goal of sanctification induce a perverted view not only of true holiness but also of God himself. Their entire view of scripture is no longer about a Holy Creator whose purpose in his creation was for His pleasure, but is now that God's whole desire is to make us happy. It produces the mindset that God owes us whatever we desire. He is the whimsical "genie in the bottle." We "rub his lamp" through prayer and "POOF!" He appears and does whatever we ask. There is a sickening doctrine out there called "Prosperity Gospel." They teach that a believer should never be sick and should always be prosperous. If you get sick, either you aren't saved or you don't have enough faith to "cast it out" of your body. It teaches that all you need to do is rebuke it in Jesus' name and to claim the blood of Christ to heal you, because "by his stripes you are healed" (I Peter 2:24). They teach that if a Christian should never be needing because "my God shall supply all your needs." Therefore, if you ever have a need that is not met, you are unsaved, not right with God, or just lacking faith. I used to think this nonsense was just limited to the Pentecostal Movement. Sadly, it is not. Shamefully, The Independent Baptists have also began to proclaim it as truth. "Hey Folks, if you tithe, God will take care of your needs. He says it in his word, Be faithful in your tithes and offerings and God will take care of your needs." Here is the kicker, I believe in tithing. I still tithe. I don't say this to boast. However, just because I tithe my percent and use the rest of the money foolishly, that my obedience is going to cover for my foolishness. It just doesn't work that way. The whole concept falls into the category of prosperity Gospel. We obey to obey, not to ensure God's blessings. Again, God is not the Genie who exists to fulfill our every desire.

Another fallacy is that Soulwinning is the main thing. I have heard someone say that we "win" someone to the Lord, baptize them, and then teach them to go soulwinning and that is the Great Commission. WHAT?! Yeah, that definitely perverts the people. Nice job preacher. way to pervert people to believe that that is all of the great commission. Just teach them how to go soulwinning and all is ok. Phew. If ONLY it was that easy. Perverting the people into a false sense of accomplishing something that is not complete is just like Ephraim being a cake not turned. Nobody likes a runny pancake. Nobody likes a bunch of haughty people thinking they have accomplished something when they haven't. Sanctification is through Christ and Christ alone. He is our righteousness. He is our sanctification. Those climbing up some other way will suffer shame when our works are tried with fire.

Watch out for Pastors who pervert when it comes to the Bible. There are two extremes that I see common in our Independent Baptist Church circles. The premise that the KJV is NOT inspired and that only the originals have been Inspired. The problem is, if the ORIGINALS are the only thing inspired than what does common man have today? Does anyone HAVE a copy of the originals? Oh, right. They were destroyed. So, then we must be talking about the languages. The languages are dead as well. So then, what we can conclude is that the Bible that I hold in my hand every day and preach out of every week is no more inspired than is the Readers Digest. If i can argue away the truth, I can thereby operate on the opinion and thoughts of my wicked heart. I recently talked with an Independent Baptist who told me he does not go by what Scripture says but by what he feels that the Spirit is teaching him. I asked him by what means the Holy Spirit teaches and leads? He informed me that the Spirit went by what He (the person) truly desired. Brother, we have come along way from truth in our circles an it started when we began heeding the question originally asked by satan "Yea hath God said?" The Word of God is Inspired. It was not a secondary Inspiration. Jesus created the world and through him it consists. Through him it continues. He keeps all that is alive and sustains it. By reason, if God inspired his word, he will also preserve his word and sustains it in that state. We have the Word of God available to us today, and it is NOT only in the originals.

The other extreme is that God gave a special Inspiration to the KJV that is not existent on ANY OTHER Bible or manuscripts. "Double Inspiration." Someone attributed this to Dr. Peter Ruckman, but he reports that he only used it in jest. However, the doctrine still exists today. Ignorantly, people idolize the Bible. They believe that the KJV is JESUS. They take John 1:1 and take it to mean that the Word (Jesus) became flesh, and since he became flesh, he is now found back in His "original state" and is the KJV. Whaaaaaat?! The Bible is our SOURCE for faith and practice. Without the Bible we will have minimal spiritual growth. Romans 10:17 says "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Through the Word of God we find truths about God and about the Christian Life. However, the KJV is NOT any more inspired than were the originals. Someone told me that the KJV is the only inspired manuscript because it is complete where as the manuscripts that were preserved were not. "When Paul said "all scripture is given by Inspiration of God" he was prophesying about the KJV." Teachings like this makes me very upset. Pastors ACTUALLY teach these things and they pervert their people.

There are MANY other areas that shameful shepherds pervert the flock of God. Maybe later I will address them. Here are some tell-tale signs of a Pastor who perverts his people:

1. Extra-Biblical Revelation - II Peter 1:18-21

2. Deny the Lord Jesus Christ - I John 4:1, II Peter 2:1

3. Make Merchandise Of The Gospel - II Peter 2:3, Philippians 3:19

4. Arrogance/ Obstinate/Rebellion of the Fundamental Truth II Peter 2, II Tim 4

5. Departure from the Fear of The Lord- II Peter 2, Ezekiel 8

6. Perversion of Lasciviousness and Legalism - II Peter 2, Gal 5

7. Their Popularity indicates End Time Apostasy - II Tim 4, II Peter 2

8 Use of Fear Tactics to control those who listen to them - II Peter 2, Hebrews (the WHOLE Context of the book)

9. Departure From Morality And Things Holy - II Peter 2

10. Unwilling To Serve Without Compensation - Philippians 3:19, II Tim 4, II Peter 2

11. Refusal and Unable to be Corrected - II Peter 2, Romans 1, II Tim 3, I Tim 1:19-20, II Tim 4

12. Must Have the Praise of Man - II Peter 2, II Tim 4



Now, there are pastors that may do these things ignorantly. They may not intend to harm the flock of God. Pray for them. Seek out elders of the church to help approach him out of Love and respect. Never should a pastor be "bombarded" by accusations. They should go to the Pastor and entreat him as a father. They should realize it is NEVER a joyous occasion to rebuke another brother in Christ much less the under-shepherd. There should be self-examination of themselves to discern if it is out of duty that they stand up against the leader. It should NEVER be out of rebellion or selfish desire. It should always be done soberly.