On Sunday, August 26, 2012, Richard was commissioned as an elder at Trinity Church. The commissioning charge delivered by senior pastor Gary Inrig was based on Acts 20:28-32:
“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.”
Gary emphasized that the three primary functions of elders are to lead, feed, and protect the flock, and Richard’s promise before God was to honor that three-fold charge in submission to the Lord Jesus.
The heart of this passage, that Gary chose for Richard’s commissioning, is the warning that fierce wolves will arise from among those who are leaders, teachers, and elders of the flock. These fierce wolves will teach false doctrine and twisted things which will not be true spiritual food. They will lead the flock astray and will not nourish them with the meat of God’s word, and the flock will become weak and sick. Godly leaders are to protect the flock from false teachers masquerading as true shepherds and from their deceptive and deadly teaching.
My reaction to watching my husband make this promise before God has been both moving and convicting. First, I thank God that He has given me a husband who has integrity and who is committed to the Lord Jesus, whatever the cost. I am privileged to be his wife, and I pray that I will be the helper and support to him that God asks me to be.
Next, I am moved that Richard’s promise is not limited to Trinity Church but includes all the people whom Life Assurance Ministries and Former Adventist Fellowship touch. Adventism teaches a false gospel: a weak and fallible Jesus who could have failed, a Jesus whose death on the cross did not finish the atonement, and a Jesus who is still struggling with Satan in an attempt to vindicate God’s law and reputation.
Unsuspecting Christians need to be protected against the subtle but powerful proselytizing efforts of Adventist evangelism. Christians need to know that Adventism is not a slight variation of evangelical Christianity but rather is a dangerous deception that puts the souls of men and women in peril of eternal death. Knowing the truth about Adventism, Richard’s commitment to lead, feed, and protect the flock includes helping to expose the true nature of Adventism and to present the true gospel of the Lord Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection to those who are caught in its darkness.
There is yet another facet to Richard’s promise. This facet includes protecting the flock—both at Trinity and among the distant sheep who have left Adventism—from subjective deceptions that lead them away, almost unnoticed, from focusing exclusively on the Lord Jesus and accepting Scripture as their only authority.
The Bible is clear: the gospel is what changes us. The indwelling Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life, and we are no longer bound to sin. We do not grow and heal by pursuing disciplines and programs and methods of prayer. On the contrary, true deep healing results from commitment to truth and reality, to submitting ourselves to the Lord Jesus as He reveals Himself in His word, and to allowing His Spirit to renew our minds with His word.
Knowing we are new creatures, adopted by the Father, made righteous by the Son, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, we can release our relentless quest for “more”. We can trust Him to know better than we know what we need in order to grow and heal. We can let Him lead us instead of holding onto our “right” to expect Him to do what we think we need. We can submit to Him because He is our Father.
Richard has been commissioned to lead, feed, and protect the flock. We, as sheep in God’s flock, are called to be discerning and to follow leaders who honor the Lord Jesus and teach His word. We are to eat the meat of Scripture, and we are to allow God’s word to protect us from seductive teachings that take our eyes off Jesus
As I reflect on my husband’s commitment to lead, feed, and protect the flock, I pray that I will be able to stand beside him and support him in faithfully teaching God’s word. I pray that those God brings into our lives will know Him and trust Him. I pray that the Lord Jesus will be sufficient for us all, that we will be fed and comforted by His word and empowered as the Holy Spirit renews our minds with His truth.
“And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
Video of Richard’s commissioning may be viewed by clicking HERE.
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