So, You Want To Downplay Doctrine? Are You Ready For Wolf Attacks?
Text: Acts 20:27-38
In the name of Jesus: Amen.
In the
interest of putting people into Church pews, Churches in America have spent a
great deal of time and energy trying to diminish doctrine. That is right; doctrine has gotten a bad rap
as something that divides. And so, it is
believed that if doctrine is removed or reduced that Churches can be more
‘neutral’ or ‘non-denominational.’ And
if Churches are supposedly more neutral, they will appeal to a greater segment
of people in society. And so, more
people in the pews means more money in the plate, and more money in the plate
means greater so-called success!
Tragically, we even see this temptation in our Lutheran Church-Missouri
Synod, where our Lutheran distinctions of Baptism, Absolution, and Communion
are downplayed as inconvenient doctrine.
And then, the word “Lutheran” is put into small letters or removed from
signs, bulletins, and brochures altogether.
Now, while
eliminating or deemphasizing doctrine may seem like a clever plan, this plan always comes back to bite Churches when
the wolves come to attack. Bluntly
stated, when doctrine is stripped out of a
Church, it leaves the Church powerless
and defenseless in the face of savage wolves.
In the
reading from the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul warns about wolves. But who are these wolves exactly; who do they represent?
Are
these wolves dangerous people who physically attack Christianity – wolves like
the first-century emperor named Nero, who seized Christians and burned them
alive for the sake of cruelty? Wolves
like the twentieth-century Communist Party who persecuted Christians while
encouraging atheism? Wolves like the arsonists who started a fire in St. John’s
Church in Washington D.C. during a recent protest? Are these the wolves Paul is talking about?
Maybe,
though, these wolves are not violent men and
regimes, but more like the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industry who fined Christian bakers for not
baking same-sex wedding cakes. Maybe
these wolves are like the ACLU Group, who helped sue a florist for not arranging
a same-sex wedding. Are these the wolves
that Paul is talking about?
Well, the answer may surprise you – No!
Dear
friends, we have to keep in mind that the people and situations that I just
mentioned are not that dangerous to the Church.
Now, do not get me wrong, when I say that they are not dangerous. I do not mean to diminish the terrible persecution that has existed and continues towards Christians. That is to say;
there are indeed regimes, entities, and persons that can kill you and take your
money, but as we know, they cannot take
your souls.
You
see the point is this, people who physically attack and persecute the Church
are bad enough; however, they are easily recognizable by even the simplest of
Christians. Just a simple examination of Emperor
Nero, one is able to recognize him for what he is – an enemy and persecutor of Christianity.
However, people like Nero are not the wolves that are
mentioned in our reading from today, for the wolves that are mentioned are those who twist, distort, and
pervert Christian doctrine. In other words, the wolves that we are
concerned with are false teachers – false pastors who look friendly, pious, and
faithful, but are destroying souls. And
what makes these wolves so dangerous is not that they destroy bodies or drain
wallets, but they destroy souls and
plunge people into the abyss of hell.
Dear
friends, make no mistake about it! Blatant
false teaching and obvious false teachers are easy to pick out, but wolves dressed
in sheep’s clothing - subtly twisting the doctrines of Christianity - well…
they are difficult to spot. And make no
mistake about it, a small twist of doctrine is not something that we should
quickly dismiss, for only one piercing fang of false doctrine may cause faith
to bleed to death.
To the
point; this is why Churches who have diminished or removed doctrine for the
sake of not offending anyone are so susceptible and vulnerable. When Christians
and Churches have no doctrine, they have set themselves up for failure. By throwing out Christian doctrine, they have
thrown out the discernment of God’s Word that would otherwise protect them from
wolves seeking to devour them. A naïve Church
without Christian doctrine can easily mistake a wolf for a dog or, worse yet, a
harmless sheep. One has to know doctrine
to recognize false doctrine.
Tragically,
though, these Churches will not endure to the end but will be gobbled up. Indeed, they will not endure against wolves
and false doctrine, but their souls will be destroyed as they are drawn into
falsehood, lies, and deception. Sure
they may still have services and sheep in the pews, but mark this, the Church
is no longer green grass and calm waters for sheep, but a slaughterhouse for
wolves. Wolves love to feast upon
flighty, unaware, daydreaming, and playful little sheep.
Now,
in the face of this danger, you may find yourself a bit uneasy. You may find yourself worried about the
possibility of being caught off guard by a wolf, for there are indeed hundreds
of wolves within the North American Church at large. If you are uneasy now, that is good! It is good because God’s Word has gotten your
attention. And now that the Word of God
has gotten your attention, you may be wondering what you are to do about all of
this?
You,
who have ears, please listen! The
Apostle Paul clearly commends the pastors of the Church to pay attention, to be
alert. And that exhortation to be alert
can equally apply to all of us as well. As Christ’s Church, we are called and exhorted
to ‘wake up!’ Sleeping and dreamy sheep
do not stand a chance against the wolves!
Keep in mind that this life is not a peaceful walk on the beach and
being a Christian is not rose peddles and pumpkin pie. No, being a Christian means that you are a
sheep of Jesus, and being a sheep of Jesus puts a target on your back for
wolves – wolves doing the work of Satan.
Now, while being alert may help you and me to spot wolves, it seems that there needs to be something else to defend us from the wolves.
In our
reading from Acts, the Apostle Paul not only calls for alertness but commends them to God and His Word of Grace. Yes, Paul commends them to the one who is able to build them up.
What
this means is that you and I spot and challenge wolves not by our intellect or
collective experiences. But as we are
commended to God’s Word, we are built up in knowledge, wisdom, and discernment. We are to be captivated by God’s Word, which
is nothing else than good-clear-Biblical-doctrine. Doctrine is simply the
teachings of the Bible.
And
now, we are beginning to see the importance of God’s Word – God’s
doctrine.
Dear
friends, this is why we do what we do here at St. Paul’s. Sure we come to this Church for fellowship
and friendship; however, fellowship and friendship can easily happen at other
places. One does not need a Church for
social and entertainment reasons, but rather, we come to this Church because we
have been commended to God in our Baptisms so that we might continually receive
His Word. And we receive His Word – His
doctrine – so that we will not be blown around by every wind of false
doctrine.
Mark
this! The reason why we have Sunday
School, Sunday Adult Bible Studies, LWML, Tuesday Women’s Bible Studies,
Thursday Men’s Bible Studies, Confirmation, Higher Things Retreats, Sunday and
Wednesday Liturgical Services, blog posts, articles, newsletters, podcasts,
Youtube videos, catechisms, hymnals, and so forth, are for you to hear,
receive, and know our Christian doctrine, for if you and I do not know what we
stand for, we will fall for anything.
Indeed,
all of these things mentioned at St. Paul’s are intended to deliver to you
God’s Word of Grace – God’s good doctrine,
so that you will not be a reed blowing in the wind of every false teaching in
this world. God’s Word – His good doctrine
– is here in this Church for you so that you do not have to be bouncing up and
down on the waves of culture’s fads.
God’s Word – His good doctrine –
is here in this Church for you so that you can be built up spiritually in this
life against the false teachers and false ideas being promoted by wolves.
Please
do not neglect God’s Word. Please do not
become lethargic with the Word or apathetic to it, for it is only God’s Word
that can break falsehood into a thousand pieces. That is right; God’s Word is like a hammer
that shatters teeth, the heresies of the wolves – for you. God’s Word burns up falsehood – for you. God’s Word unravels twisted lies – for you.
God’s Word reveals the perversion and distortion of false teaching – for
you.
Baptized
Saints, wake up! Be alert! Beware of false prophets who come to you in
sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Be alert that deception has its strength in
disguising itself as truth. Do not
listen to the empty words of false prophets filling people with empty
hope. Do not forsake the Word. Do not despise God’s good doctrine. But remain in the Lord’s rest and care where
you will be built up and taught in God’s Word of grace for this present day and
for the inheritance of the life to come.
In the
name of Jesus: Amen.
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