Once we cast a vision and begin laying hold of the Promised Land, we need to watch out for dream catchers! Now, when I speak of dream catchers, I am not referring to the round wooden frame resembling a spider’s web, which was handcrafted by the Ojibwa tribe of Native Americans for the purpose of catching bad dreams.(1) I’m instead referring to individuals who creep into the fold to snatch away our vision, and plunder our hard-earned spoils in an act of spiritual piracy.
The prophet Jeremiah, under God’s direction, once cautioned the people of Israel to beware of sharing their dreams with those who would deceive them and try to deter them from hoping in the Lord’s good intentions of delivering them from Babylon. In Jeremiah 29:8-9, we read, “For thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are in your midst deceive you, nor listen to your dreams which you cause to be dreamed. For they prophesy falsely to you in My name; I have not sent them, says the LORD” (Jeremiah 29:8-9).
We need to realize that there can come among us individuals claiming to be God’s preachers and teachers, who have the ulterior motive of leading us off course and steering us away from the dream on our heart; or rather, away from God’s vision and calling for our own life and the church. The Lord said not to listen to these people, but instead remain focused on the dream and vision that is divinely inspired and placed on our heart by God Himself.
Jeremiah continued to admonish Israel, “For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:10-11).
Perhaps the Lord has given us a vision that will lead to a bright future and a blessed hope in the Promised Land; however, we will not arrive there if we lower our guard and succumb to the treachery of the dream catchers – those who seek to steal our dream and profit from our labor. This morning, we are going to be made aware of their motives and tactics, and be provided the necessary knowledge to defend against their deception. So, prepare you heart and mind, because we’re getting ready to learn something about the difficult, or not so nice, side of ministry.
Getting in on the Action (vv. 3-6)
3 But when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done to Jericho and Ai, 4 they worked craftily, and went and pretended to be ambassadors. And they took old sacks on their donkeys, old wineskins torn and mended, 5 old and patched sandals on their feet, and old garments on themselves; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy. 6 And they went to Joshua, to the camp at Gilgal, and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We have come from a far country; now therefore, make a covenant with us.”
The first thing to note from this passage is that news of God’s work spread far and wide (v. 3); and as a result, there were some who made plans to get in on the action. We need to realize that as we begin to conquer the land, so to speak, and as the Lord starts bringing repeated victories to our efforts, that we must be on guard. You see, people have a tendency to be fair weather fans, keeping us at a distance as long as we are struggling; however, as soon as God’s work in our life bears fruit – or we experience what people see as success – then those with wrong motives will want in on the action; not to further the kingdom, but to further themselves.
Now, one thing the inhabitants of Gibeon wanted was protection from annihilation – which is understandable – but they also wanted something else in addition when they said, “Make a covenant with us” (v. 6), which I will explain in a moment. But before we get there, I want to focus on some other insights. We read here that they “worked craftily” (v. 4) to deceive the men of Israel. This craftiness included 1.) pretending to be ambassadors, 2.) putting on disguises, and 3.) attempting to secure a covenant. When we begin to experience success in ministry, we must be on guard against these three avenues of craftiness or deception.
So, let’s consider “false ambassadors.” The New Testament calls believers “ambassadors for Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:20). We must be cautious of any self-proclaimed Christian ambassador who is new to our fellowship, who comes boasting about what God has done in his or her life, and who begins to publicly proclaim his or her own superior faith and giftedness. Such an individual is likely trying to usurp the authority of the church leaders and be seen as equal or greater in calling.
In 2 Corinthians 11:12-13, the apostle Paul said, “But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ.” Paul warned the Corinthians that there were deceitful workers among them, who were boasting in an attempt to be seen as equal with the apostles; or rather, equal with those in church leadership.
So, let’s now briefly look at “putting on disguises.” In Matthew 6:5, Jesus called those who put on disguises “hypocrites.” That’s how He referred to the Pharisees. In the New Testament Greek, the word “hypocrite” refers to an actor in a play. It’s an individual who wants to appear as someone or something that he or she is not in reality. So, we need to be on the lookout for those wearing masks and putting on a good and righteous show to win our approval.
And now, let’s look at “seeking a covenant.” When people are drawn to a fruitful ministry, and they have an ulterior motive, they will be looking for the most advantageous relationship possible. In ancient Israel that would have been a covenant relationship. A covenant is a treaty or contract. The Gibeonites requested what was known as “a treaty of equals,” in which the two partners are called brothers.(2) The Gibeonites sought equality with Israel. They desired an equal inheritance of the blessing with all its rights and privileges.
So, an important leadership lesson is beginning to unfold, and it’s not easy to talk about (or even hear about), because we want to think the best of people; but we need to be aware that there are individuals out there who want all the rights and privileges of a covenant relationship when they see a successful ministry. What I mean is that they want an equal share of the credit for our labor and toil, they want to piggyback off our reputation; and some even have plans of taking over, thinking they can do things better, and they will not hesitate to steal our people resources.
Some will attempt to infiltrate our fellowship with additional or false teaching, believing they have a superior revelation from God; however, their false doctrine will only lead to bondage and division within the body of Christ. In Galatians 2:4, Paul mentioned “false brethren secretly brought in – who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage” (Galatians 2:4). But, in Galatians 2:5-6, he went on to declare, “We did not yield submission [to them] even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. But from those who seemed to be something – whatever they were . . . [they] added nothing to me.” Paul gave some good advice, which is this: “Do not yield to them even for an hour” (Galatians 2:5).
Rick Warren shares the story of a man in one of his Bible studies who had formerly attended a well-known church in their area. Every time the group would begin to plan something, the man would speak up and say, “Now, at my old church they did it like this.”(3) Warren says, “After about eight weeks of this, I finally said, ‘You know, if you want a church just like your old church, why don’t you go back there? It’s only thirteen miles up the road.’ He took my advice and left with his family of five. That was thirty percent of our fellowship at that time – and he was a thither!”(4)
Paul said that he did not yield submission even for an hour. Why? In order “that the truth of the gospel might continue with you” (Galatians 2:5). Paul had an assurance of God’s call on his life. His unique revelation from the Lord resulted in the faithful preaching of the gospel, resulting in many people getting saved; and the fruit he bore testified of the Lord’s work in his life. He was not about to let his teaching be tainted by those with a supplemental and false message. He frankly said, “They added nothing to me” (2:6).
Sharing only Partial Truths (vv. 7-11)
7 Then the men of Israel said to the Hivites, “Perhaps you dwell among us; so how can we make a covenant with you?” 8 But they said to Joshua, “We are your servants.” And Joshua said to them, “Who are you, and where do you come from?” 9 So they said to him: “From a very far country your servants have come, because of the name of the LORD your God; for we have heard of His fame, and all that He did in Egypt, 10 and all that He did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan-to Sihon king of Heshbon, and Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth. 11 Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, ‘Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them, and say to them, we are your servants; now therefore, make a covenant with us’.”
So, when people come among us with impure motives, they will share partial truths; meaning, some of what they say will be completely honest. For example, the Gibeonites (Hivites) were not lying when they spoke about hearing of God’s fame (vv. 9-10), or when they recounted the story of how the elders and inhabitants suggested meeting with the Israelites to request a treaty (v. 11). This was all true; however, in response to the accusation that “perhaps you dwell among us” – or “maybe you do” – they replied that “from a far country your servants have come” (v. 9). Stating they were from a far country was an outright lie, for they actually lived in Canaan and were soon to be conquered by the Israelites.
Sometimes people will come into our fellowship professing to be a believer, which may be true; but unfortunately, not every believer holds the same doctrine. For example, our church might be preaching salvation through Christ, based on an individual’s own personal choice to receive or reject Him, which is Armenian in doctrine. But the one seeking to tear down our beliefs might be teaching salvation through Christ that is granted only to those who were predestined, ruling out personal choice, which is Calvinistic in doctrine.
You see, “salvation through Christ” is the part that is correct. This statement is the partial truth intended to build common ground from which to springboard into some other teaching. Watch out for those seeking to supplement or pervert the doctrine of our fellowship, as they are trying to cater to their own preferences or motives. In Romans 16:17-18, Paul cautioned the believers of Rome as follows: “Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.”
In 2 John 1:8-11, the apostle John said that these deceivers will cause us to lose everything we have worked for, if we’re not careful, and he explained what their false doctrine will look like. He even gave instructions on how they should be treated. Here’s what he said: “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God. He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine, do not receive him into your house nor greet him; for he who greets him shares in his evil deeds.”
The “doctrine of Christ” to which John referred is the doctrine of grace through faith, in which Paul stated, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is a doctrine of personal choice and confession of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9-10).
The Christian author Delton Ellis says, “We must be sufficiently trained as gatekeepers to detect others with ulterior motives whose purpose is to infiltrate our ministry and destroy it.”(5) One of our jobs in possessing new territory for the Lord is to continually guard and maintain the doctrine the Lord has given our fellowship to preach to the lost and teach to the saved. We must be aware of the possibility of deception and be alert at all times, ready to defend the truth.
A Motivation for Mooching (vv. 12-13)
12 “This bread of ours we took hot for our provision from our houses on the day we departed to come to you. But now look, it is dry and moldy. 13 And these wineskins which we filled were new, and see, they are torn; and these our garments and our sandals have become old because of the very long journey.”
The Gibeonites intentionally took along inadequate provision as part of the big lie (Joshua 9:4-5). They weren’t really lacking provision. They basically said, “Woe unto us! Look! We have no food or clothing! Please help us! Bring us into covenant fellowship with Israel!” I want to use this idea of provision to portray one of the possible motives behind those seeking to infiltrate a successful ministry; and it might be something similar to the Gibeonites.
On a physical level, provision is all about the necessities of life, such as food, clothing and shelter. Perhaps at one time or another you experienced a distant relative showing up on your doorstep after losing a job, claiming his family connection for the purpose of receiving assistance. The same type of thing can happen on a spiritual level. People will come into our fellowship claiming to be part of the family of God, as they are looking to get something from the relationship. Perhaps they are seeking to fulfill some kind of inappropriate need or hunger, such as the need for money or the hunger for power.
This type of behavior, or deception, could be called spiritual mooching; and sometimes moochers will attempt to win the people of our fellowship over to their side for their own agenda or personal gain. In Titus 1:10-11, and verse 16, Paul warned about these kind of people, saying that “there are many insubordinate . . . whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain . . . They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work.”
Paul didn’t say they were disqualified from “every work” but from “every good work” (v. 16). They will sometimes succeed in their dishonest ways, but when they attempt to build their own kingdom it will not be a good work which glorifies the Lord. It will instead be a bad work, leaving them disqualified in the race. What appears to be qualified by the world is not always qualified by God.
Beware that spiritual moochers sometimes want the flock all for themselves. They want to take our people and establish their own church in order to line their own pockets, and build their own reputation. Ed Young calls these people “church pirates.” He says they will steal your people and then claim to be a church plant, when in reality they are only a church “transplant.” He cautions how this will happen when people join our church with suspect motives, in order to siphon and leverage people and resources from our church in order to build their own.(6)
I have personally seen this happen more than once, and I even chatted with an elderly pastor who had this happen to him. That pastor has since passed away. But he shared with me how a young man approached him asking to be mentored in ministry. So, the pastor put him to work teaching a home Bible study; however, during the study time the young man would promote his own plans and say bad things about the pastor behind his back. He eventually won two-thirds of the fellowship to his own side and started a church a few miles down the road, leaving the elderly pastor with a struggling and dying congregation.
Failure to Seek God’s Counsel (vv. 14-15)
14 Then the men of Israel took some of their provisions; but they did not ask counsel of the LORD. 15 So Joshua made peace with them, and made a covenant with them to let them live; and the rulers of the congregation swore to them.
Israel was deceived and gave the Gibeonites provision, and made a treaty with them allowing them to live. We must be careful not to be deceived by those who have ulterior motives and who teach strange doctrine, for if we believe them then our walk with the Lord and our reputation could be destroyed right along with them. In 2 Peter 2:1-2, we read, “There will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.”
If we fail to notice and head off these destructive individuals, it will result in the way of truth being blasphemed, and bring shame to the ministry of the local church. The main reason why people fail to recognize deception in the ranks, and the primary reason why Israel couldn’t see it, is because “they did not ask the counsel of the Lord” (v. 14).
We might be desperate to fill a teaching position, or find someone to sing in the choir, but keep in mind that just because someone presents himself doesn’t mean he is sent from the Lord. The only way we can know if someone’s intentions are true is to go to the Lord in devotion and prayer, and ask the Holy Spirit to give us either a sense of peace or a word of caution concerning the person. We must always keep in mind that failure to seek the Lord will lead to deception, the loss of our witness, and even the destruction of our fellowship. In 2 Chronicles 12:14-15, we read of Rehoboam that “he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD . . . and there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.”
Time of Reflection
As we are seeking to claim new territory for the kingdom and establish the Lord’s mark in the lives of others, we are probably looking to enlist the help of some able-bodied workers. We must not allow ourselves to be overly impressed by the skill-set of others, or we could easily become bedazzled by their abilities and fall prey to deception. We must be sure that God has left the biggest impression on our life, far above any human being. If God is first and foremost, then we will seek Him before allowing someone to volunteer and lead in our church. The Lord will give us guidance and spiritual discernment to look past the outward appearance, and see a person’s true heart and real motives.
In Jeremiah chapter 17, we read, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, and whose hope is the LORD . . . The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings” (Jeremiah 17:7, 9-10). The same God, who provides discernment to understand the heart of others, is the God who searches every heart – and He says that the heart is wicked and deceitful. The Bible says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Scripture also says that “the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So, I want to invite you to come today and be the one who is blessed by trusting in the Lord, as you confess Jesus as Savior; and thereby receive the gift of eternal life.
NOTES
(1) “Dreamcatchers,” http://www.crystalinks.com/dreamcatcher.html (August 21, 2010).
(2) F. C. Fensham, “Covenant, Alliance,” The New Bible Dictionary (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1982), p. 240.
(3) Rick Warren, The Purpose Driven Church (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1995), p. 92.
(4) Ibid., p. 92.
(5) Delton Ellis, How to Make Your Dream Come Alive (Longwood, FL: Xulon Press, 2004), p. 22.
(6) “Church Pirates,” http://www.edyoungblog.com/2008/05/church-pirates.html (posted May 24, 2008).
