Guarding the Gate
Protecting Your Church from False Teaching
Key Verse:
"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them."
—Acts 20:28-30
Learning to be a Gatekeeper
In ancient times, a gatekeeper’s job was critical. Positioned at the city gates, they had the solemn responsibility of watching for danger, sounding the alarm, and ensuring only those with proper intent could enter. In a spiritual sense, every pastor is a gatekeeper. You are charged with guarding the gate—protecting the church from false teaching and spiritual deception.
This task isn’t optional. It’s not merely a matter of preference, personality, or denomination. It’s a biblical mandate, and the consequences of neglecting it are eternal.
False Teachers Will Come
Paul warned the Ephesian elders with deep conviction:
“Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God… I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”
—Acts 20:28–29
Notice Paul’s urgency. The danger wasn’t theoretical—it was promised. “Savage wolves” would come. False teaching would attempt to infiltrate. And the shepherds—those who love their flocks—would need to be vigilant.
We cannot afford to be passive. The pulpit is not a platform for personalities but a post of responsibility. Guarding doctrine is not legalism; it is love.
Protecting the Flock Is an Act of Love
Jesus described Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). In contrast, the hired hand “sees the wolf coming… and runs away” (v. 12). Why? Because he doesn’t care for the sheep.
When you guard the truth of God’s Word, confront heresy, or lovingly correct error, you’re not being harsh—you’re being like Christ. Your care is proven in your protection.
In Titus 1:9, Paul writes of the qualifications for church leaders:
“He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Encouraging and refuting are two sides of the same coin. A pastor who only ever affirms, but never corrects, is not fulfilling the whole counsel of God.
The Danger of Doctrinal Drift
False teaching rarely enters the church with a neon sign. It sneaks in subtly, cloaked in half-truths, appealing language, and emotional manipulation. It may begin with a slight compromise: downplaying sin, avoiding uncomfortable scriptures, redefining grace. Over time, the drift becomes a departure.
Paul’s counsel to Timothy still applies:
“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
—1 Timothy 4:16
Your theology shapes your people. If the gate is unguarded, the sheep will scatter—or worse, be devoured.
Equip the Saints, Don’t Entertain Them
There is pressure in modern ministry to “keep up”—with trends, with influencers, with the algorithm. But the church isn’t a stage for spectacle. It’s a sanctuary for truth. You are not an entertainer; you are an equipper.
The Apostle Paul warned about a time “when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Timothy 4:3). That time is now.
Hold the line. Guard the gate. Love the truth.
Prayer Thought
Lord, give me discernment to spot false teaching, boldness to confront it, and compassion to protect Your people from harm. Help me never shrink back from the responsibility to shepherd with truth and grace.
Pastoring Tip
Vet every guest speaker, curriculum, and book recommendation through the lens of Scripture. Protect your pulpit, and train your leaders to do the same. A single unchecked falsehood can undo years of faithful teaching.
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Note: All Scripture from the NIV Bible Translation.