Ezekiel 33: 1 – 9 “Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. So thou, O son of man, I have set thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore thou shalt hear the word at my mouth, and warn them from me. When I say unto the wicked, O wicked man, thou shalt surely die; if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.”
Study this scripture very carefully. The preacher or teacher is the “watchman”. The watchman has the Word of God and preaches the Word to the people. The people do not obey the Word of God they are lost in their own failure to obey the Word of God. The preacher did his job.
Again, the preacher or teacher has the Word of God but does not preach the complete Word of God to the people. The people are still lost in their own failure to obey the Word of God. God now holds the preacher or teacher accountable for the people being lost.
James 3: 1 “My brethren, be not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation”. I believe that God holds preachers or teachers to a higher standard based on what they teach or what they fail to teach from the Word of God.