Entrusted to the Word of Life :: Acts 20:27-38
5. They’re here. Oppressive wolves are among the flock.
They’ve been here from the beginning ... not only in this congregation, but in the church at large. They’ve come to attack the flock ... that is, you and me. We are the flock.
Maybe you suspected the wolves were here already. Maybe you had no clue. But they’re here ... wearing sheep’s clothing, hiding in plain sight, pretending they’re innocent and that they mean well. But they’re really clever. They know how to scare us into listening only to them. They know how to twist the truth just enough so that the sheep have a hard time discerning right from wrong. They are pros at dividing and conquering and devouring and perverting God’s word ... misleading the faithful. They are fierce. They are vicious.
All of our readings today, on this Eighth Sunday after Trinity, highlight this truth. Today, we will focus on Paul’s proclamation to the pastors of the church of Ephesus that after my departure oppressive wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock (v29).
4. Who are these wolves? How can we identify them?
Paul wasn’t the first to warn us about the wolves. Zephaniah (3:3), Jeremiah (5:6), Habakkuk (1:8), Ezekiel (22:27) prophesied about the wolves among princes, nations, and judges. They make themselves appear royal, mighty, and just. They make themselves look holy. But the wolves in scripture most often are an image of those who devour the unsuspecting with clever arguments about piety. In our Gospel reading, Jesus included pseudo prophets among the oppressive wolves. [They’ll] come to you in sheep’s clothing, he said but inwardly are ravenous (ESV), Jesus said during his sermon on the mount (Mt 7:15). That is to say, they’ll pretend to speak for God. They’ll say they know God’s word, but they’ll lay burdens on you that aren’t there. They’ll say they are Christian, but they’ll keep you in fear. They’ll come to church. They’ll look like you and me. But, Paul tells the pastors at Ephesus, they’re not coming for the right reason. They’re coming to draw away the disciples (v30). They have a different agenda. They’re not interested in a true confession.
Brothers and sisters in Christ, if this warning isn’t alarming you, it should. These oppressive wolves are devouring sheep in the true church, subtly dividing and conquering congregations. They chase away sheep and pastors alike. They are preventing you from receiving the forgiveness of sins. Because of these wolves, many fall away from Christ and the faith ... and like a sinking ship ... will drag others from the freedom of the Gospel into the depths of the sea, which you should know, is a Biblical picture of sin.
These wolves ... which scripture likens to both sheep and pastors ... will deny their sin, rationalize that it’s OK, and teach others to do the same.
There are many denominations that fall into this category. They’ll contend you must earn forgiveness. They’ll preach another gospel, not that there is one (Gal 1:10). They insist your salvation depends on you and how well you prepare for Sunday. They despise preaching and God’s word (SC I).
Sometimes these wolves show themselves, living openly adulterous lives, denying their sin, openly call evil good and good evil. Sometimes, they’ll devour each other ... saying cruel or uncaring things to each other ... abusing each other and turning us against each other. Sometimes, they’ll say their church traditions are better than God’s.
The teachings of the wolves are challenging to identify, especially if you don’t attend Bible study. These wolves preach a message of Law without Gospel, and Gospel without Law. These wolves deprive you of the word of grace, which is able to build up and to give you the inheritance in those being sanctified (v32). These wolves will not administer the sacraments properly, if at all, which the church embraced from the beginning until the wolves got ahold of them. They will not share the fruit of salvation, the forgiveness of sins. Instead, they aim to cause dissension. They aim to criticize and complain about God’s gifts, saying you don’t need them.
But beware of those who do because as Jesus says, Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Mt 7:21).
3. So brothers and sisters in Christ, what are we to do?
Repent and believe the whole counsel of God! The forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation is a gift to all who are baptized and believe the whole counsel of God’s word.
2. When you know the word of God, you will be prepared for the oppressive wolves.
Your shepherds are called to guard you against them by preaching and teaching the whole counsel of God’s grace (v27) ... the fullness Law that often stings with its truth until the fullness Gospel then heals all wounds and makes you whole. Jesus embodies the Law and the Gospel. He makes you whole. Thus we are resolved to know nothing but Christ Crucified (1 Cor 2:2).
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the second person of the Trinity, forgives your sins on account of his righteous life and all-atoning death on the cross proclaimed in word and sacrament. Jesus is the shepherd of shepherds, king of kings, and Lord of lords. He did what we can’t and won’t do. He was first and foremost sinless, the perfect Lamb of God. He then laid down his life for the sheep, beaten and bloodied for you. He embodied God’s will for you. Jesus handed himself over to the wolves, to be sacrificed for you. His death, all by itself, is enough to justify you before God. And his resurrection shows you eternal life in the land of milk and honey.
But he didn’t stop there. He gave us his sacraments to proclaim all of this. Jesus ensured that on account of his means of grace ... absolution, baptism, and the supper ... you would receive the tangible forgiveness of sins ... to be justified before God by his grace.
His means of grace come to you personally. They are yours. These all proclaim the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of our Jesus ... that is, they all proclaim the Gospel, and they free you from the burdens of sin. They proclaim the sum and substance of the Gospel, our Lord Jesus Christ. They are what he taught, providing us with the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. God’s peace is the forgiveness of sins. When you have the forgiveness of sins, you know that God is with you and, therefore, have been reconciled to the Father.
And what greater joy is there than knowing that! His sacraments bring us back into a right relationship with him and protect us from the wolves!
God made this possible through his baptism, through which you were crucified with Christ and united in his resurrection (Col 3:3). On account of baptism, we now see the Light. We can now walk in the newness of life with a living hope, hearing him speak his words of absolution to you, how God makes you holy just as he is holy (Lv 19:2).
This then should encourage you to approach his altar today and every day to receive with great joy the bread of life and the cup of salvation, which he continually prepares for you, This is the meal that he eats with you in his kingdom, which has come. You who are baptized and have faith in the words and promises of God need not approach his altar with fear and trepidation or shame any longer. Remember, he has come to you first, and is with you always, even unto the end of the age (Mt 28:20). He’s telling you you are worthy to join all of the company of heaven rejoicing in the Lord always! Again, I say, rejoice (Phil 4:4).
1. That’s why we pastors don’t hesitate to announce the whole counsel of God (v27).
As Luther addresses in our catechism, Although the work is done and the forgiveness of sins is secured by the cross, it cannot come to us in any other way than through the Word. How would we know about it otherwise, that such a thing was accomplished or was to be given to us, unless it were present by preaching or the oral word? ... But now the entire Gospel and the article of the Creed ... [I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting] ... are embodied by the Word in the Sacraments and presented to us (LC.V.31-32).
Brothers and sisters in Christ, when a Christian is attentive and has no more than the catechism, commandments, creed, Lord’s Prayer, God’s Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, he can well defend himself against all oppressive wolves and heresies that do nothing but try to keep you from the one true faith. So ...
RECEIVE THE WORD OF GRACE WHICH GUARDS, PROTECTS, NOURISHES, AND LEADS YOU TO THE INHERITANCE OF SANCTIFICATION.
Our Good Shepherd will protect you all the days of our lives.
In Jesus’ name. Amen.