Insight for Living

Bill Meyer: How do we protect a thriving ministry from those who would destroy it? What do we do when sincere-looking believers sow discord, undermine leadership, and poison the well of trust? Today on Insight for Living, Chuck Swindoll doesn't just diagnose the problem, he delivers God's prescription.

Drawing from Romans chapter 16, Chuck provides three essential strategies for guarding the flock. Whether you're a church leader exhausted by divisive people or a member wanting to protect what God is building, this message equips you with clarity, courage, and actionable steps forward. Chuck titled his message, "Boars in God's Vineyard".

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: All who are called into ministry, and that would be everyone involved in leadership of any kind of Christian organization, whether at home or abroad, must have that hide of a rhinoceros. We must model both tenderness and toughness. We must be devoted and yet at the same time determined. We are to be sensitive with the sheep, yet strong and even stern when dealing with wolves.

You see, there have always been wolves in sheep's clothing. There have always been boars who ravage God's vineyard. When Paul got to the Ephesian elders, he warned them of wolves from their own midst that would enter in, and in fact did among the Ephesians.

As we think of the church at Rome, there are three questions I want to answer. First, what was happening? Verse 17: "I urge you, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions." That's the first thing to write down. Dissensions were being caused. Look next: "and hindrances," making it hard for them to trust.

Now second, why was all this happening? Why would that kind of thing be going on? Next verse, 18: "These things go on because such men are slaves of their own appetites." Let that sink in. They are self-serving individuals. They are willing slaves of their own ego. We would say they want their own way. And don't miss the contrast: they do not want the way of the Lord Christ.

Now, how is this to be handled? Here comes the hard part. Here comes the hard part. I want to give you three words and then we'll go back and amplify them: observation, confrontation, separation. Observation, confrontation, separation.

Where do I get them? Verse 17, observation: "keep your eye on those who cause these things." The Greek suggests in the verb a continued action. "Keep on watching out for" is the idea. Don't ever let that thought out of your mind. Stay alert, be ready, know that they are there, keep it up.

The second word is confrontation, and we get that from 3rd John verse 10: "When I come, I'm going to expose him." This is the hard part, admittedly. This is the hard part. I'm often amazed at how often we will tolerate people like this. And they will ravage the church. It isn't right for them to run free and wild in a church and take advantage of the unsuspecting. Stay on the alert, confront it when you have to.

Finally, separate. When you notice the end of verse 17, I return to it: "turn away from them." Now, a disclaimer is necessary here. It sounds like everybody that's in trouble needs to be run off. That's not true at all. That's not what we're saying. Everybody's in trouble. We've all got problems. We've all got areas of struggle that we're working through. Pastors are constantly in touch with the brokenhearted. This is not the brokenhearted. This is not that kind of individual.

This is a self-serving individual who will do harm to the ministry. And there's a difference. Once that person is addressed and you try your best to handle it, often it's the best thing to do to separate from them.

Look at Titus chapter 3. If you will turn there, please. We were in Titus some time back and you may have forgotten verses 9, 10, and 11. In case you think I'm being a little bit hard or tough, let me show you tough. Titus 3 verse 9, verse 10, verse 11: "Avoid foolish controversies and"—by the way, Paul's writing to a younger pastor whom he left on an island, the island of Crete. He left him there to put things in order. "Avoid foolish genealogies and strife and disputes about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless." Watch closely. Don't stop reading. "Reject a factious man after a first and second warning, knowing that such a man is perverted and is sinning, being self-condemned." You heard that correctly. Reject a factious man.

None of this is easy. Back to Romans 16. When he talks about these dealing with carnality, he's not talking about what is easy, but it can be done. The reason I know it, look at his commendation in verse 19: "The report of your obedience has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you." In other words, they'd been doing it right. Well, then why all the warnings? It's the same reason we warn our kids until the last day they leave the house.

I mean, we've been warning them all their lives and then they're finally getting ready to join the military. We don't say, "Well, lots of luck, son. See you when you get out of boot camp." We don't do that. We say, "Son, I want to spend a little extra time with you." We bring our boy into the den or the study or in our bedroom and we sit down and we say, "Son, I've talked to you all through your life about stuff. Now you're going to be in a minority. You're going to be the only guy in the barracks that doesn't want to shack up with women. You're going to be the only guy around that decides he's not going to take a drink when everybody else is going to get drunk. You've been raised like that. You've lived a pretty good life through high school. You've kept clean. You haven't had sex with another girl. I commend you. Good for you. Keep it up. Keep it up. I'm proud of your obedience."

That's what this is about. The Romans weren't tolerating it, and Paul didn't want them to start. So he says, "I commend you." However, while rejoicing over them, don't miss the end of verse 19: "But I want you"—here he is again, like a father—"I want you to be wise in what is good and innocent in what is evil." Every dad wants that of his son or daughter, and mom the same. We want that of one another in the family.

I want you, my friends in the family of Stonebriar Community Church, to be wise in what is good. Meaning recognize it, embrace it, traffic in it, love it, model it. It's good. But when it comes to evil, don't play with it. Don't be sophisticated. Steer clear of it, refuse to be around it, shy away from it. It'll contaminate you. Separate from it.

In fact, he adds, "The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet." Aren't we grateful for that? You know, God's will is wonderful, it's just slow. You know, don't you find yourself saying that? "Lord, I know You're sovereign, I know You're good, I know You're great, but hurry up. Good night." We want Him to crush Satan now. Well, He hasn't yet. So Satan will continue to have His way, but He promises, Jesus does, Matthew 16:18, "I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it." The gates of Satan will not overcome it. He'll try.

If he can work through you, he'll work through you, or through me. Oh, he'd love to work through me. "Soon," he says, "I'm going to crush the enemy and he's going to be gone." Until then, may the grace of our Lord Jesus be with you. Don't lose your heart of grace. I love J.B. Phillips' rendering of this part of the verse: "I want to see you experts in good but not even beginners in evil." Let me say it again: "I want to see you experts in good and not even beginners in evil." Concludes with that great promise.

What are the clues that conflicts occur when there is dissension in the body, when there are those sowing discord, when there is the growth of suspicion and gossip and doubt and false information that wins a hearing and begins to gain a following that's damaging for the flock? What are the cures? We go right back to the gates I gave you: a deep commitment to the scriptures. Stay there. A firm determination to glorify God, whatever it takes, even doing the hard thing. Glorify God. And third, an honest appraisal of your own spiritual walk. An honest appraisal of your own walk with God, your prayer life, your strength in standing against wrong.

I started with boars, I want to end with dragons. There's a great book that Marshall Shelley wrote called "Well-Intentioned Dragons: Ministering to Problem People in the Church." He writes this among other things: "Dragons, of course, are fictional beasts, monstrous reptiles with lion's claws, a serpent's tail, but bat wings and scaly skin. They exist only in the imagination, however. But there are dragons of a different sort, decidedly real. In most cases, though not always, they do not intend to be sinister."

In fact, they're usually quite friendly. But their charm belies their power to destroy. Within the church, they are often sincere, well-meaning saints, but they leave ulcers, strained relationships, and hard feelings in their wake. They don't consider themselves difficult people. They don't sit up nights thinking of ways to be nasty. Often, they are pillars of the community—talented, strong personalities, deservingly respected. But for some reason'—I love the way he puts this—'for some reason they undermine the ministry of the church.

They are not naturally rebellious or pathological. They are loyal church members convinced they're serving God, but they wind up doing more harm than good. They can drive pastors crazy, or out of the church. Some dragons are openly critical. They are the ones who accuse you of being—pick one: too spiritual, not spiritual enough; too dominant, too laid back; too narrow, too loose; too structured, too disorganized; or ulterior in your motives. These criticisms are painful because they are largely unanswerable. How can you ever defend yourself and maintain a spirit of peace? How can you possibly prove the purity of your motives? Dragons make it hard to disagree without being disagreeable.

Listen to this: "Perhaps the greatest damage done by true dragons is not their direct opposition; it's more intangible. They destroy enthusiasm, the morale so necessary for church health and growth. People no longer feel good about inviting friends to worship services. The air is tense, the church depressed, and everyone becomes aware of us and them. The effect on pastors is equally serious; they sap the pastor's energy and, just as damaging, goad them into reacting instead of acting." What a mess.

Now let's end on a positive note. You've very graciously sat through this and not too many have walked out, and I thank you for your patience in hearing this. Let me end on a major key. There are very valuable things to be learned in whatever package God delivers to us. I've learned some of my best lessons in some of the most painful hours of my life. I've gotten glimpses into the side of my own life that I'm displeased with by dealing with others who are difficult to handle. It's like the Psalmist wrote, "It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees." Psalm 119:71. Nobody put it better than A.W. Tozer: "It's doubtful God can use anyone greatly till He's hurt him deeply."

Late in life, Thomas à Kempis wrote this: "It's good that we at times endure opposition and that we are evilly and untruly judged when our actions and intentions are good. Often such experiences promote humility and protect us from vain glory, for then we seek God's witness in the heart." I'm going to be very candid with you now.

We were here yesterday with a group of people and we were involved in painting some things that will ultimately go in our new sanctuary, some of the speakers. And we had a great time. Great people, just wonderful. And Cynthia and I were there together and left finally alone and drove around. And we had been through a tour of the new sanctuary. Upstairs, way up high and way down all around, looking all around.

And as we drove around, I said to her, "Honey, I want you to know something that I think you already know, but I just have to say it. I never planned for it to be big. Big has never been one of my goals. In fact, I was kind of hoping we'd just stay sort of small. But as I've said before, you wouldn't stop coming, and God didn't want that. So it isn't about what I want. In fact, I held it back from the size it could have been. There were those that wanted it bigger. I said we don't need any bigger. It's big enough."

And then I said to her, "You know, honey, I have to tell you that I love what I do, but I just need to reassure you and myself that God's in this. It's not some big trip I'm on." She said, "I know that." She said, "I know that." After 52 years with me, she knows everything. And don't tell them everything, that'd be helpful.

So I said, "I just want to serve Him. I just want to preach His word. I just want to lead the staff. I just want to mentor younger men going into ministry. I want to be with you and I want to love you and I want to shepherd this flock however long I should. And when I shouldn't anymore, you won't have to ask me. I'll get out of your way because you're onto something great here."

I learned from Corrie ten Boom to hold it all really loosely. And I really do. I hold it really loosely. These are some of the great years of ministry. And there's no ego in it. Isn't that great? None.

George Whitefield lived long enough to where his popularity became immense. Wherever he went, there were always people who longed to meet him and shake his hand and talk with him. He lived long enough in that famous arena to grow tired of it. He often envied others who could go into a restaurant to eat a meal and no one would even notice George Whitefield was there. Toward the end of his days, he made the statement, "I've seen enough of popularity to be sick of it." I love that.

When warned about it and could make him proud, he responded, "I thank you. I thank you heartily. May God reward you for watching over my soul. And as to what my enemies say against me, I know worse things of myself than they say about me." And I could add, and my wife knows more than any of the others. She's still with me.

It's a great thing happening here. Let's not mess it up, okay? Let's not mess it up. Let's just sort of sit in awe of this great thing God's been doing, okay? Then when we're ready to move into this new joint—I probably shouldn't call it a joint, but I mean we move into this new sanctuary—we'll just move in, kind of like you move into another house. And we'll just keep doing what we're doing here. We'll just do it with a few more. But we don't want to mess it up. We're not going to get slick. We're not going to get proud. We're going to hold it all loosely. And we're going to guard the flock from wolves, from boars that would ravage the vineyard. So much more I could say. It's enough.

Surely the presence of the Lord is in this place. That mighty power of the Spirit of God. You move so quietly among us; it's easy to forget that You're at work, Father. You're teaching all of us so many important things. And while the world around us gives us another agenda, while all the stuff of life would crush in on us and steal our joy, You stay at work in the church. And the church rolls on. It rolls on.

Thank You for what You're doing, what You have done, and the great things that are in front of us in the years ahead. May You get all the glory, because You deserve it. We are all about You, oh God.

Now to Him who is able to guard us from stumbling and present us faultless before the presence of His glory with exceedingly great joy, to the only wise God our Savior, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, forever and ever and ever. In the matchless name of Jesus we pray. And all God's people said: Amen. Amen.

Bill Meyer: You can hear the enthusiastic response of the congregation when Chuck Swindoll presented this powerful study in Romans 16. He titled today's message, "Boars in God's Vineyard". We'll hear a personal word from Chuck in just a moment, so stay with us. First, we want to thank you for your feedback on our social media platforms, in the mail, and on our website. We read every single comment, and we deeply appreciate your prayers as well. For Chuck and the staff, your partnership fuels our work as we prepare these programs and serve you each day.

You know, listeners often tell us how much they appreciate Insight for Living, due in part to Chuck's sense of humor. It's not about being funny; his smile comes from a place deep within, and his laughter is rooted in the joy of Christ. Here's Chuck.

Pastor Chuck Swindoll: My friend, you know what I love about joy? It's one of those virtues that grows stronger the more you share it. It multiplies. Here's the deal: your financial generosity toward Insight for Living empowers us to send a wave of encouragement across the land, extending what people are truly longing for: the joy of Christ. Remember that wonderful verse, "the joy of the Lord is your strength". Friend, that's not just a nice saying; it's a promise. When you experience the joy that comes from knowing Jesus, you discover a supernatural source of strength that carries you through life's toughest moments.

And here's something that thrills my heart: your year-end donation flows from God's own delight in seeing His word proclaimed. Think about that for a moment. When you give, you're participating in something that brings joy to the heart of God Himself. It reminds me of those shepherds on that first Christmas night. They heard the good news and couldn't keep it to themselves. The angel said it would bring great joy to all people. Not just some people—all people.

This Christmas, we celebrate Jesus, the baby born in Bethlehem who is our everlasting light. He came to bring joy that the world cannot manufacture or destroy. That's exactly what happens when you support Insight for Living. You're bringing great joy to all people—people in your own community and listeners around the world who desperately need hope. Your partnership at year-end ensures that the joy of Christ continues reaching hearts everywhere through radio, online, and every platform we use. Together, we're spreading joy that lasts, and I look forward to hearing from you today.

Bill Meyer: You can choose several different methods for responding to Chuck Swindoll. To send your donation in the mail, address your envelope to: Insight for Living, Post Office Box 5000, Frisco, Texas, 75034. If you're listening to this program on the Insight mobile app, click on the heart that says "Donate" and follow the simple instructions.

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I'm Bill Meyer. Chuck Swindoll invites us to explore the final page of Paul's magnum opus, Romans chapter 16, Thursday on Insight for Living. The preceding message, "Boars in God's Vineyard", was copyrighted in 2008, 2010, and 2025, and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2025 by Charles R. Swindoll, Incorporated. All rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.