Smite The Scorner
Good Morning,
Zechariah “…they were troubled, because there was no shepherd…”
One great principle of victorious Christian living is unity under good leadership. If Satan can divide the follower from the leader, he has won an incredible victory.
Notice the phrase repeated:
1 Kings 22:17 “And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace.”
Zechariah 13:7 “…smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…”
Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”
Satan will do all in his power to divide the leader from the follower: the military leader from the enlisted man, the parent from the child, the pastor from the people, and even the political leader from the citizen. The wicked one gives us inept, corrupt leaders in Washington to divide us to fend for ourselves. I am not saying that we follow the godless, vile, political people in DC, but the principle stands; a house divided cannot stand (Mark 3:25).
When the French Revolution took place, the common folks were frustrated and weary, so they began killing all of the aristocracy – the result was not any better. Satan sows discord; he does not provide a solution. Young people run away from home to aimless, perverted living. The AWOL soldier becomes useless to the cause of his nation.
In the church, Satan will try to divide the pastor (and church philosophy) from the members. Now, he will not give the member anything better, Satan simply wants them on their own. Sheep never do well on their own, that is why there are always shepherds and sheep dogs. With no shepherd or productive spiritual life, sheep will flounder spiritually. Satan strives to pull folks away from the shepherd, and without a shepherd, the sheep become scattered and vulnerable to every kind of foolish thinking and a useless, spiritual life.
Mark 14:27 “…I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered…”
Satan loves to “smite the shepherd,” and God will do the same when He brings judgment on a people.
As long as the sheep are scattered, Satan is happy. He does not care if people end up drifting from one church to another or completely stop attending church; as long as they are away from the shepherd, Satan is happy.
I have been active in three good churches in the last five decades, and I cannot begin to count the number of productive church members who got out of church and then did nothing spiritually. The reasons they stopped attending church may have been significant or not, or it may have simply been a misunderstanding, but once divided from the church, they retreated to a life of spiritual mediocrity. At one time, they taught a Sunday school class, sang in the choir, or worked in the nursery, and went soul winning. Today, their issue matters little or not at all, but their spiritual life is without fruit, and the glory of God suffers. Their financial donations are no longer going to support souls being saved. Their love and encouragement no longer helps new Christians grow. Their influence on grandchildren becomes completely secular, and the next generation suffers spiritually. Sadly, in some cases, their grandchildren may spend eternity in hell for the lack of spiritual influence from their parents and grandparents.
Satan does not move people from one solid, Bible-preaching church to another, he moves folks from a ministry in which the Christian made an eternal difference to a life of doing nothing!
I will not allow anyone to separate me from my spiritual leaders, athough most of them are now in Heaven. I will stay by the principles I was taught, and remain loyal to the men and women who helped my family become useful to God.
To those who seek to divide remember these verses:
Proverbs 6:16”These six things doth the LORD hate…”
vs. 19” …he that soweth discord among brethren.”
My parents were human and frail, but I will continue loving them and honoring them. My wife and I have weaknesses, but we will stay unified and, by His grace, useful to the work of God. Both of my pastors were imperfect and they pastored churches filled with people who were sinners, but their duty as “shepherds” has kept my family useful for the things that matter eternally.
Do not try to smite my shepherds, for I will stand by their side: whether it be it George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, or my parents or pastors. Sheep are always better off with a shepherd.
Do not buy into this foolishness of smiting the shepherd and causing the sheep to scatter; it will render you useless in matters that are eternal, and this foolish philosophy is from Hell.
Pastor