Wolf Warnings

(Acts 20:28–29) Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  

I like "shepherding the church" by leading the flock in the systematic study of the Bible.  But a shepherd also has to keep an eye out for wolves.

Now wolves don't usually come right up to the shepherd and reveal themselves as wolves, so you need to watch the sheep.  If there is a wolf at the edge of the flock, the sheep are unsettled.  The wolves are lurking there, upsetting and harassing the sheep with bad doctrine.

It helps when some of the sheep send the shepherd an e-mail or a text or they call on the phone with the questions raised by the wolf.  And that is exactly what has happened.  There are wolves bothering my flock!  It is time for me to take up "the rod" (a shepherd's club) and protect my flock.  It is time to go to the Scriptures with the specific purpose of attacking a false doctrine and teaching the truth in its place.  My goal is to strengthen the sheep with the truth and give them some clubs to use in beating back the wolves.

(Acts 20:30) Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.