Pastor Diotrephes: A Study of Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing

The church is an inestimable treasure. In Christ's churches you will meet many godly, humble, sincere, Spirit-controlled saints with whom you can journey together towards heaven, following and fellowshipping with Jesus Christ. But not all. Christ had eleven godly apostles, but one Judas. Among the vast host of godly pastors lurk some wolves, some antichrists. Some are thieves. Some perverts. Almost all are domineering. Some are pastoring a church near you. Are you ready to encounter Pastor Diotrephes (3 John 9-11)? Are you ready for a wolf-encounter-that close, that personal, that dangerous, that life-or-death? Are you ready when you encounter a dictator, a thief, or a sexual pervert in God's holy ministry-in a good church? You need to be ready. The world is filled with the bloody carcasses of sheep who were not ready for their wolf-encounter. The world is filled with other sheep who mourn daily over the loss of their own little lambs, lambs devoured by a bloodthirsty wolf who crept into the flock, secretly. Are you ready? God's Word has the answers. You can recognize the righteous and the rogues, receive the one, and reject the other. It is essential that you know how to do both. Can you? If God allows you to serve Him on earth for many years, you will almost certainly encounter one-or more-of such evil, anti-Christ men. Are you ready?