Watchmen, Shepherds, Sheep and Doctrine*

      In the Body of Christ today, things are being taught and believed that are very concerning, especially because of the lateness of the hour before the return of Christ. 

     Jesus had healed a man who had been born blind. His disciples had asked Him who had sinned that the man had been born blind. Jesus answered: "Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is yet day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world." (Jn. 9:1-5). The night is coming, yet many in the church have been told that miracles are not for today. However, miracles are very much to be part of the lives of the believers in Christ. As Jesus revealed that He was in the Father, and the Father was in Him, and that the works that Jesus did were because of the Father who dwelt within Him, Jesus said to His disciples to believe Him for this reason or: "...believe me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. If you love me, keep my commandments." (Jn. 14:10-15).

     The Lord expects us to do greater works. Are religious leaders teaching the truth about this? If not, why not? Is it because the greater works that Jesus spoke of are not being seen in their ministry?

     Jesus remarked that the Word of God, the commandments of God were being transgressed because religious leaders, in this case the scribes and the Pharisees, were clinging to traditions instead. They were bending commandments such as "Honour thy father and mother", in order to receive the money meant for the support of parents from the people: "Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias (Isaiah) prophesy of you saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mt. 15:1-9).

     Jesus also challenged the tradition of handwashing before eating bread: "Hear and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man." (Mt. 15:10-11). Even the Lord's disciples could not understand this saying, so deeply had traditions been entrenched in their lives. Jesus continued: "Are ye also yet without understanding?...whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man." (v. 16-20). 

     The prophet Jeremiah wrote the same thing: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: Who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9). What is in the heart comes out of the mouth. All men are subject to sin and error.

     The apostle Paul was concerned for the churches that he was unable to visit in person. He prayed that they would grow into the full assurance of understanding in the acknowledging the mystery of the Father and the Son, Christ: "In whom is hid all treasures of wisdom and knowledge." He didn't want the churches to be beguiled by men with enticing words in his absence. He wanted them to be rooted and built up in the Lord, "as ye have been taught." (Col. 2:1-7, excerpt). Paul wrote to them: "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power." (v. 8-10). Those who follow the commandments and doctrines of men instead of the increase of knowledge in God, are perishing. (v. 22). 

     We are to grow up into the stature of Christ, and not the traditions of men that divide. One of the churches that Paul was concerned about in this passage from Colossians 2 is the church of Laodicea (see v. 1), and it turned out that he had good cause to be concerned. That church is one of the churches that Jesus Christ reprimands severely in Revelation for being neither hot nor cold. They were a rich church, but Christ called them spiritually, "wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked", and He urged them to repent. (see. Rev. 3:14-22). The church today also needs a 2 Chron. 7:14 repentance and return to the LORD.

     Paul also warned: "Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared with a hot iron." (1 Tim. 4:1-2). These false doctrines become even more of a problem in the church as we are now in the latter times of which Paul wrote above, or as many refer to it, "the Laodicean age." 

     The prophet Ezekiel gave us a serious warning of the Word of the LORD of responsibility of God's spiritual leaders and for the sheep, God's people, as well.

     Ezekiel first wrote the Word of the LORD regarding the responsibility of "the watchmen", those whom God has appointed to keep a prophetic spiritual watch for impending danger and attack: "If he (the watchman) seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people." (Ezek. 33:1-3). Now if the watchman sounds the warning, but it is not heeded by the hearers, then their shed blood is on their own heads, their own fault or responsibility, and the watchman will not bear the responsibility for what happens. However, if the watchman sees the danger approaching, and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned and are taken away in their iniquity, "his blood will I require at the watchman's hand. To Ezekiel, the LORD then said: "So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me." (v. 4-7).

     We have a duty to warn and speak about the danger of sin and iniquity. We never cease to love the sinner, but call out sin and iniquity so they don't die in it. We support and urge the people to needed repentance. The LORD told Ezekiel that these were warnings concerning life and death. (v. 8-10). The LORD spoke to Ezekiel saying, "Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?" (v. 11). Isaiah 21:11-12 also contains the warning Word of the LORD as the watchman is asked, "Watchman, what of the night?" and the watchman answered: "The morning cometh and also the night: if ye will inquire, inquire ye: return, come." As Jesus said, "The night is coming when no man may work." Our nation needs to hear this warning Word, and the church is supposed to be delivering it.

     The LORD told Ezekiel that He is not partial nor unfair in judgment, but He will judge the house of Israel each one after his own ways. (v. 20). He also warned Ezekiel, His watchman, that although the people will seek Ezekiel out to hear the Word of the LORD, they will not do them. They show love out of their mouths, but they are driven by covetousness. (v. 30-32). Though they will not do the Word, they will know that Ezekiel is indeed a prophet when his prophetic Word comes to pass. We are to speak the truth, even if the people are not listening. They will remember what they were told and know that it was true when they see it come to pass.

     Then the LORD began to speak to Ezekiel about those who are the spiritual shepherds of His people: "Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say to them, Thus saith the Lord God unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?...The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have you brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered...none did search or seek after them....Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the LORD God; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them." (Ezek. 34:1-10).

     We have seen shepherds, or pastors, that feed themselves on the flock. The world sees also and mocks. Are cities being changed? Is sin preached? Is righteousness preached? True shepherds teach truth in order to feed the flock.

     The LORD told Ezekiel that He would search for His sheep and seek them out. The LORD would bring them out of the countries to which they had been scattered, and bring them back to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel: "I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the LORD God." (v. 13-15, excerpt).

     In John Chapter 10, Jesus said: "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (v. 11). A good shepherd that supplies the Word of God to the flock will lay down his life.

     The LORD also had a prophetic Word to Ezekiel for His flock. He warned that He judged between cattle and cattle and between rams and he goats. While His flock had eaten up the good pasture and had drunk from the deep waters provided for them, they had trodden down the pastures and fouled the water with their feet, spoiling it for the rest of the flock. They have pushed out the rest of the flock with their shoulders and horns. The LORD will judge this. (Ezek. 34:17-21, excerpt).

     The LORD then promises: "Therefore will I save my flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle. And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David (referring to the end time rule of Messiah/Christ); he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it." (v. 22-24). 

     Paul warned in Galatians that there would be false brethren among us. (Gal. 2:4). Our responsibility as the flock of the LORD is to know the Word. Jeremiah wrote about the people of God who trusted in other things besides the LORD, and those who were serpents that bite. (Jer. 8:17-19). The cry went out: "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." (v. 20). There is a season, a day, as Jesus said, in which we can work, and then the season is over, the night comes, and no one can work the works of salvation. Jesus told us to pray that we are accounted worthy to escape, and to stand before the Son of man. He told the seventy whom He sent out: "The harvest truly is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest." (Lk. 10:1-2).

     Although we have seen pockets of revival, there is still the teaching of traditions of men and doctrines of devils. Divisions are created in the Body of Christ over these things. All have sinned and need to come to repentance. We need to study and know the Word of God for ourselves, because the Word of God is truth and will change our lives.

*Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson, Jr.'s 5/25/25 message to the church. If you would like to hear the complete message, you can find it on the Facebook page of Kenneth E. Stevenson Jr. Dr. Stevenson's video messages are also found on You Tube at Kenneth Stevenson. To contact or support this ministry, or to request prayer, you can write to PO Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705. To find out more about the Shroud of Turin, and to receive a free e-book now available in several languages, go to http://www.theshroudofturin.org/freebook. The book NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling is available on Amazon.