DUMB
DOGS & GREEDY DOGS
DOGS AT CHURCH
Isaiah 56:10-11
This sermon is about the apostate
leadership in many churches of our day! God called those kinds of
preachers Dumb and
Greedy Dogs in the book of Isaiah. Our
president and other
leaders often bring a state of the union address to bring us up to date
on the condition of our country but it is high time someone
addressed the condition of our churches!
We take our scripture reading from the
book of Isaiah chapter 56 and
verses 10-11: "His watchmen are blind: they are all
ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying
down, loving to slumber". Isaiah
56:11- "Yea, they are greedy dogs which can
never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they
all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter."
The Hebrew word for "WATCHMAN"
in Isaiah 56:10 is tsaw-faw'
and is the same root word as "SHEPHERD"
in Isaiah 56:11 which is translated-"Pastor".
God used some very
harsh
words to describe the condition of the "Pastors" of that time and I am
afraid we have some of those among us as we present this message!
1- GOD DESCRIBED
SOME PASTORS AS IGNORANT, BLIND AND DUMB DOGS.
Isaiah 56:10: "His watchmen are
blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs",
It seems like
Christianity has digressed very near the situation described by
Isaiah! A watchman when used in scripture is always translated as
Pastor or Shepherd and God is calling the Pastors Dumb Dogs in
this passage. This doesn't mean that
there aren't
some good Pastors and Preachers
left but they are getting mighty scarce! The
Watchman or Pastor is
given a command to watch for the sheep who have gone astray, watch for
danger lest the sheep perish and to warn of impending danger but look
at
what they are doing instead:
(1)- BLIND
Some pastors are
spiritually
blind.
Not all Pastors are like this but we are
seeing it more and more in these last days.
Isaiah 56:10- BLIND is the Hewrew word in-vare' - Having no sight.
The presence of sin doesn't grieve them.
Many modern Preachers have no standards themselves and they certainly
don't care if their parishioners practice loose standards.
They don't see
the need to
compel sinners to be born again when
they are instructed to warn them. Ezekiel 3:18- "When I say unto
the
wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor
speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the
same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require
at thine hands".
(2)- IGNORANT
Many modern day Pastors are Ignorant.
Ignorant is
the Hebrew word yaw-dah' -
No perception.
Many modern Preachers are "Spiritless
wonders" with Doctor tacked onto their name. They don't have a message
that convicts
sinners of sin nor the ability
to
edify the
saints as they are instructed by God in 2
Tim. 4:2- "Preach
the word; be instant in season; out of
season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine"!
(3)- DUMB DOGS
God Said Some Pastors are Dumb
Dogs.
The hebrew word for Dumb is il-lame- Speechless.
They
are silent on issues that pertain to biblical
separation. It doesn't bother them to see their ladies wearing pants or
their Deacons smoking a cigarette! It doesn't bother them to see their
young people having parties where alcohol is served! It is no wonder
that we have such a messed up society and a carnal church!
(4)- HAVING NO BARK
God said Some Pastors can not
Bark.
The hebrew word for Bark is naw-bakh'- A soundless voice.
A hunting dog that doesn't bark when he
finds the intended game is a worthless servant!
They murmur a memorized
speech that
brings no conviction while
scripture instructs them to Isaiah 58:1- "Cry
aloud and spare not"!
(5)- SLEEPING
God said Some Pastors are Sleeping.
Sleeping is the hebrew word law-zaw'- To dream.
Proverbs 29:18- "Where there is no vision the people
perish".
While millions are
going
to hell in a
hand basket. The mission program is grossly neglected! Rev.
22:17- "The Spirit and the bride say, Come. And
let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And
whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely".
(6)- LYING DOWN
God said Some Pastors are Lying Down.
The Hebrew word for lying down is
shaw-kab'- It has a strong
implication of being lain with sexually. It is sad but several modern
Preachers have been discovered, having sexual relations outside
marriage and it is on the increase in these last days. Many times with
one of his church members. 1 Tim. 2:22- The apostle Paul wrote the
letter of 1 Timothy to a young preacher named Timothy and instructed
hin to, "Flee also youthful lust". Preachers who can not conduct
themselves properly in the presence of women are not qualified to be a
minister.
(7)- LOVING TO SLUMBER
God said Some Pastors Love to Slumber.
Slumber is the Hebrew word
noom- To be drowsy.
He loves his relaxation
while
watching his favorite football game and his Sunday sermon is about
football while leaving off thus saith the Lord! He loves relaxation
while sailing on a cruise
ship in
the name of religion after he sells tickets
to his constituency in order to get his fare for free.
(A)-
God said Some Pastors Slumber at the pulpit.
If you had a
watchdog that was trained to
protect your family, who was supposed to bark when a stranger
approached
and growl when he came nearer with his lips raised and teeth showing in
order to show the adversary that he meant business and was ready to
take on the situation with rigor if need be and the watchdog wagged his
tail and let the stranger come past to enter into your home to harm
your loved one's; would you continue to provide such an animal with
food and shelter? I don't think so and God said in this passage; you
have a watchman who cannot bark! I like to hear a little bark from the
pulpit. It let's me know that the Minister is still alive.
(B)- Some Pastors Slumber in their sermon
preparation.
How can sinners be saved
when all they hear is some panty waist preacher telling them to join
the fellowship instead of telling them that sorrow for sin is required
and repentance is mandatory in order to go to heaven? This easy
believe-ism movement makes me sick- not to mention how it makes God
feel. Getting saved is not a hard thing but it requires certain
criteria be met.
(C)-
Some Pastors Slumber in Soul winning.
There are more
man made converts in churches today who are on their way to a
devils
hell than you could imagine! Someone once told D.L. Moody, "I saw one
of your converts in a bar last night". Mr. Moody's reply was, Yes, he
apparently was one of my converts and not God's convert!
There is a
difference! Those who walked down a church isle and shook hands
with
the preacher without a repentant heart are just as much a child of hell
as before. Jesus told the Pharisees in Matthew
23:15- "Woe unto you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one
proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of
hell than yourselves".
(D)-
Some Pastors Slumber in taking a separatist
stand.
The Evangelist, Billy Graham-
started out as a hell fire preacher but for many years has
fallen into
Ecumenicism with the clergy from every walk of life on his platform
where people are advised to return to the
church of their choice after they supposedly come for salvation. Mr.
Graham will stand
before a Holy God one day and answer for that in my opinion. The church
of your
choice is most likely not the church
of God's choice. The scripture
tells us in Proverbs 16:25- "There is a way
that
seemeth right unto a
man, but the end
thereof are the ways of death."
2- GREEDY DOGS
God called some
Pastors Greedy
Dogs.
Isaiah 56:11:
(1)-Never getting enough.
"Yea, they are greedy dogs
which can never have enough,
(2)-Never Understanding.
and they
are
shepherds that cannot understand:
(3)-Never seeing the
Needs of Others.
they all
look to their own way, every
one for his gain, from his quarter".
When
I first became a
Christian and God called me into the Gospel Ministry I never imagined
how greedy some preachers would become.
Those like Jim Baker who
robbed many Christian
Church members for personal gain and Jimmy Swaggart whose sexual
appetite caused the downfall of many faithful Church members! These
people will answer to God for their actions if they are saved and if
not they will have a hotter place in hell!
CONCLUSION:
I ask pastors
and other ordained ministers to take an inward look and see if
you are
conducting your ministry
according to the Word of God and get rid of
all those carnal practices of man made origin. Practice your
ministry
like God instructs from His Word. Speak out against sin! Open the
life gate that all may come in!
I
also ask
every child of God to take an inward look to see if your hands will be
blood stained for not caring about sinners spending an eternity in
hell. Get on line and tell your friends and neighbors how the Lord
saved you and offer them the plan of salvation from God's word. Maybe
the Lord has wants you to be a prayer warrior. You don't even have
to
own an automobile nor do you have to be able to walk to be a prayer
warrior! It takes a consecrated life and a dedicated outlook but you
could make a difference by praying for Ministers, Missionaries and
lost souls as well as individual Christians.
BY
JAMES TYSON SR.