Staying Together on Right Track…

I was thinking this morning about my text from last Sunday, Ephesians 4:11-16 and especially verse 14 which reads: ¹⁴ that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting,  I think it is important that this verse is in the midst of Paul’s writing about the importance of the body of Christ being together and working together.  I’ve never been a real life shepherd of real life sheep, nor have I ever played one on TV, but I know that wolves and other predators don’t typically run into the middle of the herd to get dinner.  Rather, they try to find a sheep that is isolated, lagging behind, separated from the rest.  Then the wolves attack.

I’ve seen this same behavior from “spiritual wolves”.  Most people that I’ve seen who have fallen prey to false doctrine or false teaching have been those who have been on the fringes of the “flock”.  They are not typically the ones who are in Bible study on a regular basis or even who spend time together with other believers during the week.  It is much easier for Satan to pick us off when we are by ourselves.  God desires that we mature in our knowledge of who He is and how much He loves us.  And He does that primarily through community.  Sure, you can sit up all night and read the Bible by yourself and pray by yourself, but without others, you will not mature as God desires.  And, you will find yourself much more susceptible to being picked off by the evil one, falling away into strange teaching taught by cunning and crafty men.

So, let’s stay together on the right track.  Go ahead and carve out time in your schedule to be around your fellow “sheep”.  You’ll find out that they are not so “baaaaaaad” and Satan won’t be able to pull the wool over your eyes…(sorry about the bad puns…couldn’t resist!)

Hope you have a great day!