Introduction
The nature of Satan is to lie and deceive. The use of counterfeits is a tool used by Evil to try to devalue and demean what is good, righteous and a blessing. We see this technique utilized throughout history. The goodness of God is mimicked by an alternative to that goodness. Where you have God’s plan for mankind to worship the One True God, Satan gives man a plethora of false gods and religions that can be chosen by man as an alternative.
We have an opportunity to choose Christ; however, Satan will give us the opportunity to choose alternative christs (also known as antichrists). Where there is a true prophet, there can also be a choice of a false prophet. Some other places where we see alternatives are places like the New Jerusalem as contrasted to Babylon, the Bride of Christ as opposed to the Harlot and the Lamb in contrast to the Beast.
The area that we will deal with in today’s teaching is the difference between good shepherds and false shepherds.
Jesus as Good Shepherd
In our last teaching we talked about Jesus as the good shepherd of the sheep. In John 10, Jesus compares himself to both the gate to the sheep and himself as the good shepherd of the sheep. Below are the first fifteen verses of John 10 where Jesus talks about this. Keep in mind the old adage that the best way to protect yourself from counterfeits is to have an intimate knowledge of what is true. By looking at Jesus very carefully and by studying the word of God we can better identify what is real and what is counterfeit.
Here is John 10:1-15:
Very truly I tell you Pharisees anyone who does not enter the sheep
pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way is a thief and a robber.
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen
to his voice. He calls the sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them,
and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away
from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.
Jesus used this figure of speech, but the Pharisees did not
understand what he was telling them.
Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you,
I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep have not listened to them.
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
They will come in and go out and find pasture.
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.
I have come that they may have life and have it to the full.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life
for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd and does
not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming,
he abandons the sheep and runs away.
Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man
runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me—
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—I lay down my life
for the sheep.
What is Jesus saying in these passages? First, keep in mind that Jesus is talking primarily to the Pharisees who were the religious establishment of his time. Further, they were the leaders and “shepherds” of the people of God. Jesus was also talking about the masses of people who were following him and who were saying things like “No one ever speaks like this man” (Jn. 7:46) or that he “teaches with authority” (Matt. 7:29).
Jesus’ comment to the Pharisees was that he (Jesus) was the true teacher who knew God. Further, that God’s people were hearing him. Their hearts recognized their Master’s voice. The religious establishment did not own the flock; instead the flock of sheep (people of God) belonged to God. When danger came whether it was physical or demonic, the religious establishment fled away. They were not casting out demons or healing the sick. The religious establishment (Pharisees and Sadducees) were in it for the pay. They got the money. They got the spiritual honor and respect. But when danger from evil came, they ran away. They were the “hirelings.”
Jesus’ affirmation and promise was that he was the “true shepherd.” He would defend the sheep. When evil came, he would lay down his life for the sheep. He would die protecting them. This was the promise of Christ in John 10 and it was this promise that he carried out.
Hearing the Sounds of Our Master’s Voice
Jesus said that his sheep would hear the sound of Jesus’ voice. How do we do this? I do not believe that it is as difficult as you might think.
First, we know what Jesus said. We have the Bible. Why not read the Bible and get use to hearing the words of Jesus. Then if you hear a shepherd saying things that do not sound like Jesus, you will then easily know that the shepherd is speaking from his own spirit and flesh and not from the words of Jesus or through the Holy Spirit.
However, God in his grace and generosity gave us another means to discern as well. Christ sent to us the Holy Spirit of God so that we might have an internal witness to the heart and mind of God. In short, we are not left helpless. We have the written word of God to lead us and we have the Spirit of God which is living and which was given to remind us what Christ said and did. Further that Holy Spirit empowers us and leads us both individually and corporately just as the Pillar of Cloud and Fire did for the Israelites in the wilderness when they escaped Egypt. We have escaped a morally polluted world through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Jesus, through his Holy Spirit, guides us and protects us in the wilderness of this world.
Delegated Authority as a Shepherd
In the Old Testament, God delegated his authority to oversee Israel to mankind. We see God giving authority to political leaders to shepherd Israel. Authority was given to the elders of Israel under Moses, to the Judges who ruled over Israel and to kings such as King Saul and King David. God also delegated spiritual authority to his priests and his prophets. In the old Testament we see both the King and High Priest as exemplifying God’s authority. This is especially true in such prophetic books as Zechariah where we see Zerubbabel illustrating political authority and Joshua representing spiritual authority. In the New Testament, the political authority and the spiritual authority are combined into Jesus Christ who combines the roles of both King and High Priest. His authority as a High Priest derives from the authority of Melchizedek according to the Book of Hebrews as opposed to the Levitical line of Aaron the brother of Moses. Both Priest and King (one person, Jesus Christ) is from the ruling tribe of Judah.
Jesus was appointed as shepherd over his people– “From Bethlehem will come a ruler who will shepherd my people” (Matt 2:6 quoting Micah 5:2,4). Jesus is the good shepherd and has God’s authority to shepherd God’s people.
That being said, Jesus delegated his authority as a shepherd to his disciples and followers. After the resurrection of Jesus, he tells Peter in John 21:15-17, “to feed his sheep.” Peter makes clear that this authority is passed on by Christ to the leaders and elders of the church. 1 Peter 5:1-4 says the following:
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and as a witness
of Christ’s sufferings who will also share in the glory to be revealed.
Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care,
watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing,
as God wants you to be, not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;
not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown
of glory that will never fade away.
Part of God’s plan is that there be leaders in the church. These “under-shepherds” are responsible to the “Chief Shepherd”. If you are in a leadership position, you have responsibility to some degree for those who are under your care. Peter warns those who are in positions of authority that they should not be pursuing dishonest gain and that you are to be an example to your “flock” and not lording it over them. How many times have I seen religious leaders profiting off their flock and taking advantage of their flock for their psychic needs of being important and recognized. I have seen them victimize their flocks both emotionally, physically and sexually. God does not grant a license to those in spiritual authority to do this. Those who fail to be responsible will be held accountable either in this life or the next. God gave authority to Saul to shepherd his people but when Saul chose not to do what God wanted to do he was judged and his kingdom was given to David and Saul met God’s judgment on the battlefield.
Delegated authority from God is not a license to do wrong and it is not an indulgence which exempts those in authority from judgment from their actions. To the contrary, there is every reason to believe that those who are in authority or those who teach may be under a higher standard of conduct than others. (James 3:1).
Also keep in mind that the Chief Shepherd is the one who is in charge. In the military, a general can easily override the commands of a sergeant. Jesus is your commander and shepherd. Thankfully, we as erring sheep, have returned to the flock and the person in charge of us is Jesus. 1 Peter 2:25 says, “For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” Peter was quick to acknowledge that the church does not belong to Peter or to the disciples but to Jesus himself. That being said, be sure that you are listening to Jesus for your commands and not to the desires of your flesh or your mind.
How can I recognize a false shepherd?
The Bible gives us a pretty good method to recognize the difference between a true shepherd and a false shepherd. We have previously mentioned one method which is to look at Christ as a model of the good shepherd. Would Christ be acting in the same manner that a particular shepherd acts. If not, then you may wonder whether a person acting as a shepherd is in reality a “false shepherd.”
Keep in mind coming to a conclusion is not always an easy thing. False shepherds, false teachers and false prophets are not always easy to recognize. In many instances, you have to look carefully at their actions. You need to test the actions of the shepherd, teacher or prophet against the written word of God. In addition, you have to look at the fruits of the shepherd’s life. Are the fruits the fruits of the spirit including love, peace, joy, longsuffering or the like? Alternatively, are the fruits the fruits of the flesh. Is the person taking advantage of others in turns of abusing them from the pulpit, taking sexual advantage of the weak, and taking the assets of the flock while becoming wealthy themselves. False shepherds often are charismatic and they seek to cut you off from contact with others and seek to control you all in God’s name and “for your own salvation and benefit.”
In Ezekiel 34, false shepherds are described. Below is a chart showing the characteristics of a false shepherd under Ezekiel 34 and the characteristics of a “good shepherd” which are the opposite of those of a false shepherd.
FALSE SHEPHERD TRUE SHEPHERD
- Feeds themselves from the sheep. Feeds the sheep.
- Does not strengthen the sick sheep. Strengthens the sick sheep.
- Does not heal the diseased sheep. Heals the diseased sheep.
- Does not bind up the broken sheep. Binds up the broken sheep.
- Lets the sheep be scattered. Brings back the scattered sheep.
- Does not seek the lost. Seeks the lost sheep.
- Dominates the sheep. Protects the sheep
Is your shepherd, seeking the lost, feeding the sheep regularly, leading them beside still waters, helping the sheep to heal, protecting the sheep and helping those sheep who have been hurt to heal? If so, it is likely you are dealing with a true shepherd.
On the other hand, if your shepherd is using you to enrich himself, lording his position over the sheep, beating up the sheep through his sermons and actions, not showing compassion to the lost, hurt, sick and broken, then it is possible that you may be sitting under a “false shepherd.”
Don’t be deceived. False shepherds, false teachers and false prophets all look religious. Like the Pharisees in the time of Jesus, they have no shortage of religiosity or legalism. They pray often, fast often and hold to the many requirements of the Bible, but they are still Pharisees.
Jesus kept telling his followers stories about religious people who were not doing what was in the heart of God. He told about a Samaritan who gave help to a hurt man while Pharisees and priests crossed to the other side of the road. Jesus told about the Pharisee and the tax collector who went up to the Temple to pray. It was the Pharisee who reminded God that he kept the law and fasted twice per week.
In my own personal experience, I have run into a number of false shepherds. Several of them had very visible ministries and were acclaimed by the masses. At the same time, some of the people who were close to these individuals knew the ugly truth. When they tried speaking up they were initially not believed. Later, the truth came out. My point is that upon a superficial glance false shepherds may initially appear to be “good shepherds” until such time that the seed that they have sewed grows and produces fruit which over time is recognized as rotten. Ask God to help you to discern correctly and make good and wise choices.
In a few cases, I have had a witness of the spirit that something was not right but no real fruit to back it up. In those cases, I have withdrawn rather than say anything publicly or privately. The reputation of people is important and so be cautious in what you say until you have a clear witness of the truth.
False Prophets and False Teachers
In our next edition of Locusts and Honey we will be discussing false prophets and false teachers and their characteristics. For the present, let me say that it is fairly common to see a false Shepherd also engage in the actions of a false prophet or a false teacher. There are clear characteristics of false prophets and false teachers and we will deal with these characteristics in a future edition of Locusts and Honey.
Short Conclusion
There are true shepherds and false shepherds. They all appear to look alike at first glance, but you can spot the difference by looking carefully. First take a look at Jesus. Does the shepherd do what the Great Shepherd Jesus does or is the shepherd doing something else? Is the shepherd doing what the Bible says to do or is the shepherd doing something else? Is the shepherd bringing forth bad fruit? Is the shepherd not being a good example? Is the shepherd taking advantage of the flock? Is the shepherd overly interest in money and power? Does the shepherd strengthen the sheep or does the shepherd really not care if the sheep are diseased, lost, hurt and hungry? Does the food the shepherd supplies strengthen the sheep or does it beat them down? Does the shepherd beat the sheep verbally? These are some of the questions which you must consider. You must pray and evaluate your own situation. Do not be afraid of making your own decisions after checking Scripture, praying and carefully observing the fruit of the shepherd to tell if the fruit is good and sound or whether it is rotten.
