Big Bad Wolf?
Do you know the phrase ‘We are the sheep, and He is our shepherd’?
Do you know the phrase ‘Who is afraid of the Big Bad Wolf’?
Well, both of those phrases are very pertinent to our topic today.
It is rare to find Christians who want to go into un-Christian places of the world to teach, preach and reach those who do not know HIM.
But Jesus never asked us to do that…
HE TOLD US TO!
☆ Jesus said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.
• Mark 16:15-16
That’s an order, not a request.
That is our ‘Commission’ not our prerogative.
Jesus also tells us, as the scripture in our meme shows today, that HE has sent us out as sheep to the wolves.
Ok. I can accept that I am His sheep.
But who are the wolves?
Well, the scriptures tell us, wolves will be recognized by these traits:
☆ Understand this, in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
For people will be:
• Lovers of self
• Lovers of money
• Proud
• Arrogant
• Abusive
• Disobedient to their parents
• Ungrateful
• Unholy
• Heartless
• Unappeasable
• Slanderous
• Without self-control
• Brutal
• Not loving good
• Treacherous
• Reckless
• Swollen with conceit
• Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
– 2 Timothy 3:1-9
These are some really big bad wolf characteristics, and as little sheep, it can be understood why so many people would finding hard to want to go out into the world to preach the Good News.
But that is only because when one thinks those thoughts, one is only counting on one’s own power.
That is sadly how it is with too many Christians though.
They have forgotten how Jesus promised us how He would equip us to do His works!
☆ But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
• Acts 1:8
So, because we know that Jesus told us;
Go out into the world to preach
We will be like sheep going into wolves
But we will have the power of the Holy Spirit when we do this, we know that we will be OK…no matter what happens.
Because this is all God’s plan anyway.
His desire is that no one is left behind, and all come to repentance, but how can someone who doesn’t know God, know that they will be left behind, and be motivated to come to repentance?
The Word tells us how simple that is;
☆ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?
• Romans 10:14
So, if the wolves hear the sheep speaking The Word of God that they never heard, that many come to believe in The God they never knew about, and when they believe in the God that they never knew about, they will repent to have the eternal life they never knew they could have!
But it starts with us sheep, going out into the wolves.
But remember fellow sheep…remember who is our shepherd.
☆ I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
• Psalm 23
I am not afraid of any Big Bad Wolf
Because I have a Bigger Badder Shepherd!
I love you guys!
