Watch What Pastors Say

Reading this morning from Deuteronomy 13, "If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk So you shall purge the evil from among you." 

Now we are all smart enough to know that Pastors are not dreamers of dreams and/or prophets in the specific sense, but they are used as a mouthpiece for God communicating His message to a people.  When a Pastor preaches He preaches the very Word of God, it is Jesus Christ speaking, when it is in accordance with the Scriptures.  This is easy to understand since the Bible is God's Word.  2 Timothy 3:16 says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God..." and 2 Peter 1:20-21 says, "knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."  But what if the Pastor preaches something contrary to the Word?  This is where Deuteronomy 13 applies, "You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

We see a great example in the book of Acts, chapter 17, "The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so."  As the men of Berea heard the Word, they were comparing the things they heard with the Scriptures.  They were asking, "Is what Paul saying true?"  They were asking if what the Apostle was saying was true.  Now if they were doing so with an Apostle, shouldn't you do that with your Pastor?  Yes, absolutely.  We must be daily searching the Scriptures discerning what is good and what is bad, what is true and what is false in all of life.  This is God testing you, "Do you really love Me or are you just playing games?  Do you really love me, do you love My Word or on a whim will you depart from me to seek something that you believe to more pleasing?"  Now most of the time, the typical Pastor isn't going to lead you into idolatry, but he will make mistakes.  And a godly minister will seek the Lord's forgiveness for speaking wrongly.  You will hear in preaching the wrong name spoken, wrong town, wrong chapter and verse quoted.  Just be discerning, such things are slight mistakes.  But be very cautious when a Pastor begins making bold statements that are no where found in Scripture, at least to your knowledge.  Talk to your elders about it, search the Scriptures to see if what was said was true.  If it is true, then follow Jesus and be healed of your sins.

Pastors, here we have the warning, that warning of which magnifies more how we will all be held responsible for the things we say, "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk So you shall purge the evil from among you."  It is a frightful thing to enter a pulpit and preach, it should rightly instill the fear of the Lord in your heart.  If it does not, there is a problem.  Preaching should cause us to humble ourselves and cling to Him all the more for we can't speak one iota of truth apart from Him.  Praise God for Jesus Christ who shows us the mercy and gives us the grace through Him.  "Watch you life and doctrine closely, persevere in them because if you do you will save both your life and your hearers."