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  SHEEP AMONG WOLVES
  by Keith Malcomson
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Summary: This sermon is a powerful call to the church to embrace the
wisdom and innocence needed to face spiritual warfare in the 21st
century. Drawing from Matthew chapter 10, the speaker emphasizes the
importance of being as wise as serpents, navigating challenges with
discernment, and as harmless as doves, maintaining purity and sincerity
in all actions. The message highlights the need for believers to be
prepared to endure persecution, opposition, and hostility while
continuing to boldly preach the gospel amidst a world filled with
'wolves'.

Topics: "Wisdom in Spiritual Warfare", "Endurance in Persecution"
Scripture References: Matthew 10:16, Luke 10:3, James 3:17, Acts 20:28, 1 Peter 2:23

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DESCRIPTION
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This sermon is a powerful call to the church to embrace the wisdom and
innocence needed to face spiritual warfare in the 21st century. Drawing
from Matthew chapter 10, the speaker emphasizes the importance of being
as wise as serpents, navigating challenges with discernment, and as
harmless as doves, maintaining purity and sincerity in all actions. The
message highlights the need for believers to be prepared to endure
persecution, opposition, and hostility while continuing to boldly preach
the gospel amidst a world filled with 'wolves'.

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CONTENT
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Praise God. Welcome to our meeting here this morning. We're turning in
our Bibles to Matthew chapter 10.

Matthew chapter 10 and there's one scripture I want to preach from this
morning. We're going to read a few scriptures in around it but I just
want to preach from one scripture. This is part six of spiritual warfare
and what I'm going to deal with many or most will not think is spiritual
warfare but I am utterly convinced it is a major part of spiritual
warfare.

Most Christians in today's church, all they knew about spiritual warfare
is the spirit of Jezebel. They don't even keep it in context. They don't
realize she was a false teacher in a church that brought immorality in.

It's not a spirit. All of that is foolishness, nothing to do with
spiritual warfare but what we are going to deal with here isn't an
imaginary thing but it's scripture, real warfare, rock-face spiritual
warfare, not carnal but real at the heart and center of God's purpose.
Listen to my title here this morning as we go to read from Matthew
chapter 10, sheep among wolves.

Read them from Matthew chapter 10 and this scripture verse 16 was
dropped into my heart at the beginning of this week about Monday and it
rolled and rolled. I couldn't get away from it so this message has
chosen me. I didn't choose it.

I just couldn't escape it and I very quickly realized it was God's will
to preach especially from verse 16. Reading from Matthew chapter 10 from
verse 16 and we'll go through to verse 26. Behold I send you forth as
sheep in the midst of wolves.

Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves but beware of men
for they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you
in their synagogues and ye shall be brought before governors and kings
for my sake for a testimony against them and the gentiles but when they
deliver you up take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall
be given you in that same hour what you shall speak for it is not ye
that speak but the spirit of your father which speaketh in you and the
brother shall deliver up the brother to death and the father the child
and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to
be put to death and ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but
he that endureth to the end shall be saved but when they persecute you
in this city flee ye into another for verily I say unto you ye shall not
have gone over the cities of Israel to the son of man become the
disciple is not above his master nor the servant above his lord it is it
is enough for the disciple that he be as his master and the servant as
his lord if they have called the master of the house bells above how
much more shall they call them of his household fear them not therefore
for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed and hid that
shall not be known let's pray together here father we do thank you for
the word of god that we are sent forth as sheep as lambs amidst wills
lord god you have commissioned us you have sent us it's not accidental
it's not out of your power we're not only waiting for this happening but
you're sending us commanding us to go forth with the gospel of blood
redemption the gospel of salvation the gospel of repentance the gospel
of the mercy of god father you have sent us and lord god i pray that
that commission would burn as a fire this morning my god i pray break
fear in this meeting this morning break inhibitions break strongholds in
the minds lord god i pray this commission will come from the lips of the
great shepherd himself lord god that you are with us even until the end
of the age lord god i pray let the power of your holy spirit come upon
us that we won't be cowards hiding in the trench but lord god we will be
sheep going forth boldly into the midst of the wills lord god knowing
that you are with us that you have sent us that we are going in your
name in your authority with your commission my god teach us that this is
real spiritual warfare it's not the games of religion not the traditions
of men not the charismatic games of our generation but this is the word
of the lord the real church going out into persecution not just running
from it not just hiding but lord god going forth into this 21st century
with the power of god upon us with the word of god upon our lips my god
raise up a real church again to make the hour lord god raise up a church
in this hour that's fast turning towards persecution that you'd send
forth sheep like we find in this text of scripture in jesus mighty name
be glorified and help us lord god we're only sheep and lambs but we know
that you're the great shepherd we love you with all of our heart in
jesus name amen my message sheep among wolves it says in matthew 10 16
behold i send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves be ye therefore
wise as serpents harmless as doves we are given this beautiful command
in matthew chapter 10 and verse 16 but it's given again in luke chapter
10 listen with me in verse 2 therefore said he that is jesus unto them
the harvest truly is great but the labors are few pray ye therefore the
lord of the harvest that he would send forth labors into his harvest and
notice the context verse 3 go your ways behold i send you forth as lambs
among wolves we see here in these two scriptures in matthew 10 and again
in luke chapter 10 the same instructions given i send you forth as sheep
in the midst of the wolves and this is our message here this morning
sheep among wolves what a beautiful statement given in these two
chapters and over in luke chapter 10 it's worded slightly different i
send you forth as lambs among wolves notice here they are commanded not
to pray for safety not to pray for an easy life not to pray for a life
without troubles but they're commanded here in such an hour as we are
living in here this morning they are commanded pray for labors because
there's too few out in the harvest field what are we to do in this hour
this 21st century 2021 when we see everything closing in around us in
politics in society in laws in legislation are we to pray for our
protection absolutely not according to the lord jesus christ this is an
hour at time this is true spiritual warfare how are we going to meet
this hour how are we going to meet this age are we only going to be
concerned about food growing our own food protecting ourselves what are
we going to do with money in the bank what about our house is that what
we're going to be consumed with in such an hour of wolves rising up in
every area of society you know what saints you know how we as a church
are going to make this hour and i pray everyone listening into this
message throughout today and this week i pray we're going to begin to
make the hour by praying lord send out labors into the harvest if you
close the book and said it's all over there's going to be no more
revival no more missions no more evangelism no in gathering of the
harvest i want to assure you that is utterly unbiblical it is an hour
now to say lord send the labors but brother keith we're not allowed on a
plane lord send the labors but we're not allowed to meet and gather as
we had one lord send the labors but how are we going to evangelize our
cities when we're not even allowed to go near people you know what
christ said start to pray and the answer is going to come notice here we
don't pray for our own safety and protection it's not ourselves that
we're concerned about it's the souls of men in an hour where persecution
begins to arise when this world begins to turn against the church when
laws are being made that are going to target the church we don't begin
to think about ourselves we begin to think about the souls of men lord
send us forth into the harvest field send forth labors into the harvest
field send forth those that are going to preach and evangelize in the
homes and the cities on the streets and the schools and the workplace
lord send the labors notice that in luke um chapter 10 it is the 70
being sent in matthew chapter 10 it is the 12 being sent first the 12
that sent with this command about being sent out amidst wolves then in
luke chapter 10 it is 70 and notice although the 12 are named we know
something of them not all of them but we know something of their
birthplace their father's name who they are or their work or profession
we know something of those 12 but the 70 we don't know their names
they're nameless we don't know all they done we don't know how god used
them there's no history books left from the 70 and yet the 70 went and
done the exact same as the 10 and so in matthew 10 we have the 12 being
commissioned like this and luke chapter 10 uh we have the 70 being
commissioned with this you see he speaks in both of these chapters of
persecution of persecution here in matthew 10 where we are christ goes
on and i want you to read the entire chapter to keep the context of this
verse after this gathering he speaks in this chapter about persecution
but in fact in reality when the 12 were sent out into galilee on this
mission we don't read of any persecution on this particular mission then
notice as well in verse 5 and 6 he says go not into the way of the
gentiles and into the city of the samaritans enter not but go rather to
the lost sheep of the house of israel now notice the 12 are being
commissioned don't go to the gentiles don't go to those half-baked
samaritans only go to the house of israel and yet a few verses later in
verse 18 he says ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my
sake for a testimony against them and against the gentiles so he's
saying i'm sending you only to israel but he's talking about this
evangelization of the entire gentile world then he also the holy spirit
was not yet given to him pentecost had not happened but yet in verse 20
he talks about the holy spirit giving them the words to speak when
they're brought or persecuted in front of kings in verse 22 again it
says and you shall be hated of all men for my name's sake but he that
ensureth to the end shall be saved do you know what we begin to see in
matthew chapter 10 that this commission this teaching the promises the
warnings they're not only given to the 12 disciples on this particular
mission at this particular time in galilee it wasn't only for them we
see it also given to the 70 who went forth into judea the exact same
commands commissions warnings and promises and yet we see something
further in all of this that was not fulfilled by by the apostles was not
fulfilled in the first century you see i believe matthew 10 is not just
to the 12 apostles not just to the 70 not just to the early church not
just to the church throughout history but to us at the end of the age
look what it says in verse 23 ye shall not have gone over the cities of
israel till the son of man is come these promises and warnings actually
extend right down to the coming of the lord down to the end of the age
down to a time where every nation will actually turn on the church and
hate true genuine believers we see a taste of this in the book of acts
but it applies specifically to the future this entire chapter is
prophetic look into the future an hour of opposition a time of
persecution look in this chapter the persecution that's going to come
against the sheep in verse 17 it's it comes from the religious
establishment the synagogues so he warns them you are going to suffer at
the hands of the established religious system around you in verse 8 he
points to the government by speaking about governors and kings are going
to persecute then in verse 20 he talks very personally about your family
or those of your own bloodline it says and the brother shall deliver up
the brother to death and the father the child and the children shall
rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death thank
god in this chapter there's also promises three times he says fear not
in verse 26 verse 28 and again in verse 31 he also says in verse 30 but
the hairs of your head are all numbered there's beautiful promises about
the sparrow and how god cares about you that amidst all of this change
and scene of society do not fear do not worry be praying for labors to
go out don't get distracted from the great commission since this is an
hour a year that we are entering into we must not forget the great
commission we have a calling that's far greater than our own safety far
greater than our own personal needs far greater than our own fears there
is a commission that we as the church need to be gripped with you see
opposition is also a time of opportunity there is not only rejection in
this chapter there is also reception by the lost sheep of israel there's
not only wilson this chapter but there are lost sheep who need the lord
jesus christ there's not only dangers but blessings not only persecution
but miracles all of this goes together and i believe it's a great part
of spiritual warfare in the church of jesus christ this chapter matthew
10 and the promise i'm gonna are the instruction i'm gonna preach on
right now in this message and give you four points from it is a promise
for this hour in a remarkable and a unique way it gives us the wisdom of
god for this very hour that we are in let me say before i start the
vaccine that's been promoted promoted across our nations is not the mark
of the beast neither have the six or seven seals of revelation began to
be open yet we're not in the first seal or the second the third of the
fourth they have not begun to be opened yet we are not in the great
tribulation i want to assure you but i do want you to realize the hour
that we live in we are living in the days just prior to all of these
things we are in the beginning of sorrows we are seeing the entire world
system change religiously politically and socially and it is coming
together you see i believe you and i are going to have to preach and be
christians and function as the church and as individual christians and
preachers in an hour of utter hostility but we've been called for this
the church of the western world in the 20 21st century has been asleep
it has almost drowned in comfort it's forgotten what the commission was
it's forgotten what true spiritual warfare is it's forgotten what a real
christian is we forgot we're soldiers of jesus christ that we have been
born for persecution that we can endure through all of these things
since i want to tell you we're living in an hour where the church had
better wake up and begin to realize what we've always been uh called to
the church in the first century was born amidst opposition ridicule
slander persecution imprisonment murder amidst blood fire and toil
that's where the church originated its function and it's a reproach on
us that in the western world in recent days we thought god would never
let us suffer for our convictions i want to tell you the day of thinking
that is over and we're going to see who the real church is the 12 were
sent into galilee the 70 were sent into judea but i want to tell you
those 70 were not apostles they were not named but they were sent by the
same master to the same task with the same instructions and so are you
and i we have the exact same promise let me bring you to matthew chapter
10 and verse 16 here behold i send you as sheep in the midst of wolves
but be ye therefore wise as serpents and as harmless as doves in this
one simple verse four animals are actually mentioned sheep wolves
serpents and doves these four animals now we know in the new testament
men are often defined by animals in fact preachers and those in the
church claiming to be christians sometimes they're called sheep
sometimes goats other times wolves the uptime fox many times pigs and
certainly there's dogs so we encounter people within the church world
not just out in the world but in the church we encounter men and women
who the scripture when applied actually gives them the name of an animal
a real christian is always a sheep always a sheep all the time but here
in this chapter we have a fascinating display of animals of country
trends within this one verse we have four animals we have a serpent a
wolf sheep and doves and that's what we're going to look at this morning
i've got my four points on these four unique animals and i believe i've
just given you the context this is the context and it's for you and i in
this hour if you have ears to hear hear what the spirit of would say
unto you this morning point one sheep scent among wolves whoever heard
of such a thing sheep scent among wolves notice here in this verse that
we have sheep sheep real christians are called sheep what is a sheep
it's an inoffensive animal it is harmless it is innocent it is no
ability of self-defense they haven't taken judo lessons or some other uh
protection means they don't possess a rifle no they're innocent
defenseless they need to be cared for when the bible speaks about a
sheep it's talking about an individual in relation to salvation here in
this verse when jesus says that i he sends his sheep out amongst wolves
he is sending those who know real salvation sheep is talking about
salvation conversion the new birth and as far as it relates to salvation
redemption and the gospel of jesus christ these are sheep and he sent
sheep out amidst the wolves but i want to tell you being a sheep being
born again having your sins forgiven washed in the blood believe in the
gospel is not sufficient for the spiritual warfare spoken about in this
verse over in luke 10 verse 3 it says go your way behold i send you
forth as lambs among the wolves not only sheep but lambs you know the 70
that were sent out were not as advanced as the 12 they were not as
greatly gifted in apostolic ministry as the 12 they were lambs called
lambs christ not only sent mature sheep out amidst the wolves he
actually sent lambs those that were younger in their faith those with
less experience those with less gifted ministry they were partakers all
of this and yet we have christ saying i send you forth among wolves
whether your sheep or whether your lambs you may say i don't have much
experience you know what there is one who commissions you and who sends
you notice who sends i send that simply means i set you apart i send you
out on a mission the greek word is apostella where we get the word
apostle an apostle is a sent one but in fact every christian is a sent
one you've been set apart if you're a sheep if you're a lamb if you're
born again if you've experienced salvation you are also set apart to go
to be sent the commission is for every christian not only apostles not
only preachers not only the mature it's for the lambs everybody has
received the gospel the commission go preach the gospel he says behold i
send do you know what the word behold means it means stop right now and
take note what i'm going to say in this scripture notice this verse 16
this is how it begins behold another word sit down listen for a moment
take note of this verse underline this verse meditate on this verse feed
on this verse feast on this verse get to know and understand the meaning
of this verse it's imperative it's absolutely important it's a command i
send you it's a command it's not but it's not just a command to do
something as you go it's something about what you are to be as you go he
doesn't just say i send you to go preach he doesn't say that he actually
says i send you and he explains the condition and then he explains what
he wants you to be as a sheep you are a sheep you're born again but he
wants to tell you where he is sending you he wants to tell you of the
dangers and he also wants to explain what's what he wants to work within
your heart you say to go is not enough to hear the commission is not
enough to go and say something is not enough what are you what are you
in your heart this is a deliberate instruction it is a mission through
the sheep he sent sheep out amidst the wolves whoever received a
commission like this whoever would have sent a flock of sheep out into
the midst of wolves christ did he actually did it who is he he is the
great shepherd of the sheep the tender shepherd the good shepherd the
great shepherd and yet he is commissioning the sheep that he's washed in
his blood saved by his grace he knows how harmless they are what are
sheep they're harmless they're innocent they're defenseless you know
when a sheep falls on its back it'll die like that unless some kind
shepherd comes and puts it back on his feet you know what sheep are like
if one jumps over the hedge all of them will jump over the hedge if
they're on the road at the very last second if you're driving past them
right at the last second it'll run out in front of your car this is the
nature of the sheep not aware of its own safety its own danger it's got
to be led into green pastures it can't even choose the right ground to
eat at but here you have christ taking these innocent harmless
defenseless sheep and he says i am sending you i command you not to obey
this sender will place you in a particular situation a situation of
danger a situation that is not um normal if you obey jesus christ you
don't need to obey this command you're a sheep but my sheep hear my
voice he's talking about them advancing the kingdom amidst adversaries
in other words i want you sheep to live in a hostile environment i
commissioned you to this you are sheep therefore you can exist in a
hostile environment i'm calling you to preach amidst enemies i'm calling
you to go forth willingly deliberately obediently i want you to come to
a place where you hear my voice you're not doing this recklessly you're
not doing it out of your own thinking you're not doing it foolishly but
actually it's out of hearing me out of obeying me out of a desire in my
heart i want you to go forth i want you to go forward into the enemy
territory i'm not hiding you away from the enemy i'm not scared that a
wolf will simply get you i am sending you out into the territory of the
enemy i'm gonna send you innocent sheep behind enemy lines like
paratroopers being dropped do you know what christ doesn't send the sas
he doesn't send the parachute regimen he doesn't send elite forces you
know what he does he sends sheep and lambs into the most dangerous
territory of the enemy and you know what by the grace of god you will
conquer you will establish the kingdom of god in some of the darkest
hardest habitats on the face of the earth you there's nowhere too hard
for jesus christ kingdom but he doesn't send elite troops he sends the
sheep and the lamb they're innocent they feel weak they know how
vulnerable they are they know how dangerous it is they know that by
themselves they they are wolf food uh uh first grade uh food for uh uh
for wills and yet here they are going forth it's not your desire but
it's because you love the lord jesus christ what are you going to find
in that environment why would you ever obey a command like this why
would christ ever give a command like this for you to go out in the
midst of wills why would he send you and i into out into the midst of
wills why would he do that someone like you and i those wills are
dangerous you see you and i desire to walk in love and kindness and
goodness and to pray for our enemies but why would christ send you out
there you know why look at verse six but go rather to the lost sheep of
the house of israel they're in search of lost sheep and you know where
you find the lost sheep you find them in dark places hostile environment
you find them associating with wills those lost sheep are in the midst
of wills and we are sent out to rescue them to reach them with the
gospel of jesus christ i assure you we are commissioned to this notice i
send you out into the midst of wills the word midst there means right in
the middle you may think i'd be a fool to go do you know the safest
place to be on the face of the earth is in the will of god if jesus
christ sends you to go and stand in the midst of wills you're the safest
man in all the world can i tell you that to be in the will of god doing
the will of god reaching soul for jesus christ there's not a safer place
on the entire earth you may say but the will still devour me maybe not
maybe not a wolf can come into this church and devour you but you know
what you could go forth into this world your workplace your family the
high street into some other area some foreign field mission field if you
go out you're far safer than you are hiding on the back row of a church
do you remember in the old testament how jonathan and his servant put
out a fleece and they said lord if you want us to go up there and fight
the philistines they're on top of a hill they're dug in there's a number
of them together and jonathan saying you know what it could be god's
will for us to go up and fight them he speaks to his servant convinces
him and said are you ready for this will you come with me i sure will
you know the first servant musta went i sure hope he knows what he's
talking about i sure hope he's walking with god i sure hope he's prayed
through this morning but i'm gonna stick a very hard to him we know that
jonathan went up there and it was like an earthquake and he defeated the
enemies of god what about young david the shepherd boy 17 years old he
goes out with a packed lunch for his brothers a message of his father
he's obeying his father and as he goes out there to the battlefield he
said who is this uncircumcised philistine all the souls armors ten tens
of thousands of his soldiers are all in the trenches they're scared
they're scared of god do you know what young david does he was a sheep a
lamb sent out into the midst of wills you know what we're told in the
bible that he ran a glass he ran a glass all of those thousands of
soldiers trained with their armor marching in rank and file and yet they
couldn't do anything but one shepherd boy ran a glass and slew him i
tell you these sheep can do a lot of damage in the world's territory but
if no one goes however are we going to rescue the sheep notice they're
set in the middle in the midst of wills surrounded they're going to obey
a command they're going to fulfill the will of god that's going to put
them right in the midst of wills you know what wills are there it's an
unfriendly cruel world out there you're going to be under constant
danger this brings me to my second point wills surrounding the sheep not
only sheep sent out amidst the wills but wills surrounding the sheep
another words wills all around the sheep out in that natural world world
it's it's natural for one wolf to attack a sheep herd that's their
nature one wolf is enough to match a thousand sheep easily a thousand
sheep will not stop one wolf and yet what do we have we have sheep and
lambs surrounded by wolves in this verse not wolf infiltrating the
church but listen to me the church going forth to infiltrate the realms
of wills you see any normal wolf will say sheep will never come into
this environment lambs would never come out here where it's so dangerous
it would be a foolish thing a foolhardy thing a crazy thing an
impossible thing a thing you couldn't imagine that you would get lambs
going right into the domain of wills to steal sheep that they're about
to devour who could ever imagine it why wills why is it that remember
we're not talking about physical wills or just spirits we're not doing
that we're talking about men sheep represent men born again what do
wills represent now notice lost sheep represent sinners they're still
called sheep but they're sinners they're out there one day they're going
to meet christ they need salvation but they're lost sinners they're lost
sheep we are sheep what are wills then what are goats goats you don't
find them out in that world you find them in the church imitating the
sheep they're hypocrites they're false believers what are wills wills
are those out in that world that have a devouring nature they are men
and women that are utterly set against the gospel against kindness
they're not loving they're not good they're devouring by nature you know
when you're in the midst of wills they do not understand your activity
they do not bless or agree with your activity they will oppose you
evangelizing sinners in this world they do not sympathize with your
message they don't believe it they hate it they're against it they'll
curse you they're not going to bless you they do not care about you they
don't care about your feelings if you find someone and their actions and
their words reveal they don't care about you they don't care about the
church they don't care about sheep do you know what that shows there's
something wrong there's something wrong with that person when you're
dealing with someone that has no natural affection they will damage you
they will attack you they're not bleating like a sheep they're howling
like a wolf you know what it's a sign of you're dealing with a wolf when
you're dealing with someone who doesn't care about anybody else you're
not dealing with the sheep you're not even dealing with a carnal sheep
or a lamb you're actually dealing with a will you see this will doesn't
care about your safety no matter how innocent you are godly kind
gracious these wolves will slander you they will abuse you they will
attack you they will misread your motives they will falsely accuse you
they will hinder you they will steal your time they will attack you that
is the nature of wolves and yet christ says i am sending you i am
commissioning you personally the shepherd of the sheep i want you to go
out and it seems unless you know what you're doing don't be silly don't
put yourself in a drug stand when you shouldn't be there don't go and
sit in a bar stool to try and evangelize when you shouldn't be there i'm
not talking foolishly here i'm not saying try and find a dark hole and
go in there i'm not saying that when we're going to see that as we go on
here that would be foolish to do that but i'm talking about christ
himself commissioning the local church notice the 12 went out together
they didn't go alone not as individuals the 12 went out in twos the 70
went out in pairs notice here that this commission to go out amidst the
wolves isn't for you to be foolish isn't to put yourself in the road of
danger he's not talking about that at all but he has actually shown us
that there is a call and a commission for the local church over 100
years ago 130 40 years ago there was a man called cecil polehill he was
highly educated he had a rich inheritance that was awaiting him and he
was there in oxford in england going through his education when he got
born again and saved by the grace of god a rough evangelist came to his
university called dl moody and as dl moody preached he heard the gospel
and was smoked to his heart it started a process of conviction when
moody come back a second time cecil polehill joined the cambridge seven
with hudson taylor he was one of seven young men that left their
inheritance left their careers left their futures and safety in england
and they went forth to the hostility of china to evangelize you know as
they began to evangelize they were stoned from village to village after
cecil polehill married his wife and on their honeymoon got on a donkey
and rode out into a very treacherous place in china that's where they
began their married life this is sheep going out amidst wills this is
the lambs going out amidst the wills well they started to evangelize in
an area and a famine hit that area the chinese blamed the white man the
missionary and captured them and beat the husband and wife would have
killed them since i'm talking about sheep and lambs amidst the wills you
see we care too much about our safety we care too much about our comfort
we care too much about ourself that very few in this hour are willing to
endure persecution in matthew chapter 10 christ actually says you will
be persecuted you will be hated now we're shocked when any such thing
happens can i tell you wills surrounding the sheep there is an actual
commission thank you for this thank god for the cecil polehills who
allowed his wife to endure that the missionaries who went out into the
dark places of the earth do you know 250 years ago when those old-
fashioned methodist preachers began to evangelize court and limerick and
dublin and revival came they were few they were persecuted they were
hated they were scourged they were driven from town to town all across
iron this is before the methodist movement reached new york do you know
what started in new york they left on a from limerick landed in new york
and the methodist began to evangelize in the city of new york and a
revival a methodist revival came to america well it started with a few
saints leaving this very city in limerick do you know what those early
methodists in limerick and in cork were like they were persecuted
terribly on my shelf i've got books of the methodist church town in cork
they would go in early in the morning 9 30 they're going into church to
pray they're going to spend all day on the lord's day in the house of
god do you know what they met there were hundreds crowds of hundreds
were waiting for them at the door of catholics stirred up by catholic
priests hundreds of them and as those individual christians would walk
into the house of god every single sunday there were hundreds either
side of them throwing muck on them pouring water on them throwing dead
cats at them cursing them blaspheming accusing them threatening their
life well they stayed in there prayed sought the lord encouraged each
other prayed and and asked for god's grace and after they'd spent
several hours together they would come out of that building again again
the crowds would be there the same happened in limerick city they were
persecuted but they were on fire for god since we have lost this we are
scared the church of the 21st century is scared of martyrdom scared of
stoning scared of persecution we've lost the ability saints i'm telling
you there's something in this message this morning i'm warning you of an
hour that we're going to face matthew chapter 10 isn't just for the 12
or the 70 it's for you and i read it study it spend time in that entire
chapter it is speaking to you the sheep of god in the 21st century if
you don't think that jesus would allow you to suffer if you don't think
he would allow governments or religion or your family to attack you
don't you know that you're commissioned by jesus christ to go preach the
gospel in those hostile environments since it is real thomas walsh was
john wesley's greatest evangelist here in the in limerick city john
wesley said thomas walsh won more souls to jesus christ than any other
methodist preacher in the world and he was a limerick man he got saved
on these streets of limerick and become a great soul winner only for
seven years and he wore himself out with labors and beatings and
persecutions and eventually died in his deathbed in dublin city but what
a man the power of god was on him he would ride in on his horse to
little towns and villages in ireland and the catholics and the
protestants would get him and they'd take him to the well and they'd say
look you can either become a catholic or a protestant but you're not
staying a methodist preacher we'll throw you down the well we'll kill
you if you come back into this village we're gonna kill you you can
become anything even a protestant in ireland but you're not going to
remain a methodist yous aren't like any of us in this town and community
thomas walsh he would ride out flee for his life he would turn around
get on his knees say lord help me and ride back in and preach in the
very same community he evangelized ireland from the top to bottom from
west to east he evangelized all over this island only in seven years and
he raised the preachers everywhere oh give us sheep like this again give
us lambs like this again we're hiding behind church walls we're scared
less anyone disagrees with us we don't want anyone to defriend us on
facebook we are ashamed of the lord jesus christ in this chapter 10 he
says if you're ashamed of me i will be ashamed of you sheep in the midst
of means hatred slander betrayal scourging arrest and death those sent
forth in mission risk their reputations their freedom their families
their health and even their lives where is such a church in this hour
and generation there are wolves out there there are wolves and you're
commissioned to go preach you you may say a wolf could never get
converted that's not true look at soul of tarsus that ravenous wolf
thank god there was people who prayed for him thank god he's seen a
stephen die through stonin and that stephen says father forgive them
father forgive them there was a lamb through his martyrdom soul the tars
of tarsus was led to conversion i'm persuaded soul would separate
husbands from wives would remove parents from children you say the lord
jesus would never let the church of the 21st century suffer that would
he not he allowed the first century church the church in jerusalem he
allowed it the church through galilee and judaea the church in the roman
world and you say he won't allow christians like you and me to suffer
this could be our greatest hour we're scared of what biden is going to
do we're scared of what our politicians is going to do of what schwab is
going to do what's going to happen through the great reset what if we
lose our liberties that's where the church began what if the law is
against us that's where the church was birthed in an upper room what if
religion turns against us what if we get thrown in prison what if they
don't like our message what if they hate us what if someone should die
of martyrdom where are the martyrs of the 21st century where is the
spirit of self sacrifice that says i will evangelize that muslim world
you know why muslims are not being converted in europe do you know why
they're being converted in iran there is a mass revival in iran in egypt
in sudan elsewhere in china china is seeing a revival you know why
there's christians who think of suffering as their meat and bread it's
all a part of preaching this gospel i don't care what they do to me i'm
going to preach this gospel i am not ashamed of the gospel of the lord
jesus christ thirdly i want to take you further do you know what he says
in this scripture he says behold i send you forth as sheep in the midst
of wolves but notice the next and these are my true next points he's
telling them to be something you can't go as mere sheep you can't go out
there and do this as mere lambs you need something more no sheep is
equipped or armed to face wills none of them and so he gives instruction
true instructions be ye therefore as wise as serpents and harmless as
doves my third point wise as serpents you are commanded by the lord
jesus christ the lamb of god he commands you be as wise as serpents you
dare not go out into the midst of wills you dare not face wills unless
you're as wise as a serpent he doesn't tell you to take up the sword or
take revenge or smite them back on the cheek if they smite you he
doesn't say that he doesn't say fight them on the high street do you
know what he says he says be wise as serpents if you want to know how to
survive wills how to live in the midst of wills how to minister in the
midst of wills how to be surrounded by wills and yet walk out of that if
it be the will of god do you know how you've got to be as wise as
serpents the serpents are usually thought of in the context of satan we
don't like to think of serpents and yet here is christ saying i want you
to be as wise as serpents you see god's grace is able to reach into the
serpent and draw out this one attribute of the serpent and apply it to a
sheep and say all of my sheep ought to have the wisdom of the serpent
you see if you're going to survive dwelling ministering in the midst of
wills you must have this wisdom wisdom is the great weapon of sheep to
walk in the midst of wills we knew back in genesis chapter three and one
it says now the serpent and think of it as an animal not a satan but a
natural animal a normal animal created by god god's design now the
serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field more subtle you know
what that means cunning prudent aware that's what a serpent a natural
snake an adder god designed the serpent he made it wise he made it
cunning he made it very aware of its environment he made it that it
could think ahead there's some animals are so dumb they'll walk on their
own legs they're so dumb god has allowed them like the ostrich to be
like that but the serpent he made wise you know that serpent thinks
ahead watches remembers avoids it does all of these things it's very
very cunning he is saying we're to have the wisdom of the serpent we're
to have a sharp eye the ability to see ahead discretion in all of our
movements patience to wait just to stay where you are without waiting
without without moving do you understand what i'm saying if you're to be
a sheep or a lamb in the midst of wills can uh fulfilling the commission
if this church limerick city church is to be like this if this preacher
is to be like this i need the wisdom of the serpent now look at the
parallel a serpent is the most hated animal in the world i don't think
there's another animal may be hated just as much there are some like
tarantulas come second but the serpent is the most hated and feared
reviled and rejected animal on the face of the earth yet it survives do
you hear me it has wisdom to survive it is the most attacked the most
reviled the most rejected and yet somehow that wisdom has made it to
survive to flourish to spread in our world and it's as populous as any
time in all of history it also has wisdom to avoid danger look at verse
17 here the first thing after saying this about verse 16 it says but
beware of men do you know what a serpent does it avoids danger it avoids
conflict it doesn't like fighting arguing debating getting in fights
with other people it doesn't like that it doesn't put itself in the way
of trouble since there is wisdom when Saul of Tarsus converted preached
on the high street of Damascus he had to flee for his life over the wall
he wasn't scared to do that he was a brave man but he had the wisdom of
the serpent he knew when to avoid danger beware be careful of men don't
put yourself in trouble it's one thing to go out commissioned to preach
in the midst of wolves you can't help that that's what you have in this
world but don't put yourself in danger remove yourself from arguments
and from conflict where you can help it you know a serpent avoids danger
but if you stand on it there's going to be a reaction they also survive
in our modern world it's a 21st century world and yet a serpent 6 000
years old it can survive in the 21st century just like it could in the
garden of eden you'll find them all over this world in almost every
nation apart from ireland this is the only nation free of serpents in
the world i am sure they can survive in every atmosphere on land in the
sea in fresh water and even in the air you know we can read of serpents
that jump from tree to tree they're high up above the ground they have
learned to survive in every single atmosphere i'm talking about you
having the wisdom of the serpent they evoke respect they're not only
feared but they evoke respect you're not going to go pick up a serpent
and play with it you're not going to do that you know what men are going
to respect the real church of god they may hate us but they are going to
fear that these are not timid lambs only but they have the wisdom of the
serpent a serpent also has enough wisdom to stay quiet do you have that
wisdom do you know when to speak and when to hiss do you know when to
reveal yourself and when to stay hidden you see they know how to stay
quiet how to just stay out of the way but they know when it's time to
strike oh god give us in this church wisdom to know when to go when to
act how to speak this is the wisdom we need serpents are also quick the
wisdom they have makes them move quickly at the right time when it's
opportune opportune they're not lazy serpents aren't lazy you know what
they're very quick to act when it's time to act they're ready to act
they could rest an awful long time in the shadows but when they move
they are going to move also this last uh similarity to serpents they get
in where others don't now i've learned this from candice and my south
african encounters and stories you'll find serpents getting in clothes
baskets in your kitchen in your bedroom you want to be careful in south
africa when we are out there with candice's mom and you know candice
will say it's dark it's last thing at night and she'll say will you
close the window those windows through the bars it will be open
outwardly i went all those bushes i always pray before i stick my hand
out to close the window that's just wisdom i want to show you these
snakes these serpents get where other animals don't they know how to get
in there you know the real christian needs wisdom to know how to reach
souls for jesus christ to get into the hearts of men the minds of men to
to draw near them so uh the apostle paul right through the corinthians
he said i caught you with cunning when we're talking about the wisdom
the cunning of the serpent to have wisdom as a serpent we're not talking
about something deceptive or divisive or evil we're talking about
something that's very wise that comes out of a lamb-like spirit a pure
love that's what the wisdom is the word wise here means to give thought
to practical wise action to be shrewd it's a quality or a type of
thinking a way that you learn to think about all things it's the result
of insight and experience and as the direct opposite of foolishness this
cleverness of intelligence is actually discernment that's what god is
calling to us judge biblically judge righteous judgment weigh everything
up scrutinize use wisdom before you speak before you act before you go
let us be wise as a church to the women of souls what are you doing in
the midst of wills and being wise to win souls for jesus christ some of
you may ask malcolmson why did you ever come to limerick we watched you
year in year out for seven years in this city it's the last city anyone
moves into why did you come here for the souls of men because i love you
some of you sitting here weren't saved seven years ago but you are now
seven years ago you didn't know the things i'm speaking about but you do
not now why would malcolmson put himself in this city betrayed by false
brethren falsely accused slandered lied about my heart broken time after
time once we left that city got back to this house candace fell on her
bed she says i'm never going into that city i don't say that to
embarrass her she won't mind me saying it we both had those times where
i got to the door of that church said lord i'm not sure i can do this
but will you help me will you give me wisdom why do you think we've been
laboring in the midst of wills because there's a precious harvest of
souls i want to be wise clever in my discernment i want to be cautious i
want to be careful i don't deliberately suffer these things but for the
sake of lost sheep there's lost sheep out there that i'm gonna win thank
god praise god that we as a church church why are we gonna endure trials
troubles persecution affliction i don't know what awaits us as a church
but why shouldn't um god make this like an old-fashioned methodist
church in ireland again why shouldn't thomas walsh arise in this church
again why shouldn't us creatures you you that are going out in the
streets this afternoon why shouldn't you have the same spirit come upon
you the same wisdom that thomas walsh had to evangelize in this city of
limerick there's a great heritage an example being left for us let us go
in the wisdom of god fourth and lastly as i close harmless as does not
only as wise as serpents but harmless as does if you're going to survive
these wills if you're going to minister and win souls surrounded by
wills you not only need the wisdom of a serpent but you must be harmless
as does do you know being as harmless as a dove could save your life
with a will i think there's some will sir that'd be so dumbfounded so
shocked that this little lamb walks out into their midst it'll leave you
alone harmless as does harmless as does my fourth and last point christ
is saying you need to be as harmless as doves this word harmless means
unmixed not confused not hypocritical pure sincere transparent you know
what a dove is it is innocent very simple it is utterly harmless there
is no guile within a dove no deceivousness no underhand plans you know
what a dove is it has the sacrificial spirit in it it comes bearing
peace it is tender it feels everything you know they say doves if its
partner dies they'll die of a broken heart you know that there's no
guile in it it's a soft heart that dove feels everything every emotion
you know through long decades i mean 30 years of hardship troubles
heartbreaking trials of betrayal of false accusation you know what i
still feel things i've never lost the ability to feel or to weep or to
hurt i do get hurt i'm flesh and blood but i forgive i love i care i
have no devious uh motive in my heart i i want to be as a dove not only
as wise as a serpent judging things righteously but i want to be as
harmless as a dove never separate these two things some people want to
be as wise or cunning as a serpent and they forget that they're to be
harmless innocent no guile in their heart there's others who try to be
as harmless as doves and they have no judgment no common sense and no
wisdom it's not one or the other we need both if we're going to minister
like this it says in chapter 10 verse 19 and when they deliver you up
take no thought how or what ye shall speak for it shall be given you in
that same hour what you shall speak for it is not you that speak but the
spirit of your father which speaketh in you i'm talking about being as
harmless as doves let them do what you they're gonna do but you have the
spirit of that dove a symbol of the holy spirit what the holy spirit is
in nature we are to be as the sheep of god going out to evangelize this
is what we're called to it says in james chapter 3 and verse 3 it talks
about the meekness of wisdom do you have wisdom and shrewdness do you
know how to judge are you wise and cunning in your thinking do you look
ahead do you weigh everything up well then add to wisdom meekness it is
the meekness of wisdom there's a certain kind of wisdom that is of god
and you always know it because there's meekness found within it candace
and i went over to john wesley's methodist chapel the first in london in
the city of london and as the old preacher was showing us around that
old church he showed us charles wesley's piano and he said to candace
come play it it was one of his old original pianos where he he wrote
those old hymns for the church uh uh to sing and but as we went around
that chapel this old preacher he pointed out in round the edge of that
church there was a round symbol copied all the way around the top of
that church every side you look it was a little round circular emblem do
you know what was on it the outward the outside of that circle was a
serpent going in around and biting its tail it was a serpent inside the
circle was a dove and that old preacher told us the early methodist
built on this scripture from matthew 10 verse 16 this was their
scripture because they knew they were a church on fire a church in
revival a soul winning church but they were surrounded by wills they
were sent out in commission in that generation 18th century they were
being sent out to bring revival amidst wills to go right into the
darkest places but you know what that church that methodist church was
reminded you you need to be as wise as serpents but as harmless as does
notice how christ joins these two strange animals a serpent and a dove
he joins them together only grace could do that only divinity could join
these two unusual animals and bring in their attributes to a sheep a
lamb to go out and labor and in the midst of wills wisdom does not equal
dishonesty an innocence does not equal being gullible christ combined
both of these things in himself he was the sheep the lamb of god yet he
was as wise as a serpent and he was as harmless as the dove he combined
wisdom and harmlessness together he was wise in his answers to the
hypocrites he avoided capture on various occasions he he kept his mouth
shut and refused to answer at other times other times he answered with
scripture and he silenced the mouth of his enemies at times he avoided
his enemies at other times he let them lead him as a lamb to the
slaughter he was the crucified one he was persecuted reviled of all men
and yet as a lamb he laid down his life for many you see grace knows how
to pick out one good attribute from an evil animal it would seem and by
some sort of divine chemistry he makes the serpent the wisdom of the
serpent with the harmlessness of a dove and comes up with a concoction
for those sheep those lambs to drink on their way to face wills on the
fields of labor i'm talking about spiritual warfare are you ready for
the warfare of the 21st century do you believe matthew chapter 10 is for
you in this generation in your church your country your nation your
family your workplace do you believe it's for you in this hour that all
of this was joined together paul the apostle was a wise man but a
harmless man and the church of the early first century conquered the
world with the gospel of the lord jesus christ here this morning i call
upon you as the church of jesus christ here one last time as i close
right now matthew chapter 10 verse 16 behold stand still be silent and
listen for a moment i jesus christ send you forth as sheep and lambs in
the midst of wilts to stand right in the middle of a circle of wilts be
ye therefore as wise shrewd as serpents and as harmless innocent as
doves behold i'll be with you to the end of the age can we pray together
here this morning thank you lord hallelujah oh praise you lord jesus we
love you we worship you when we think of what you've done through that
old methodist movement here in limerick right across ireland how you
raised up sinners from the high street of limerick as you laid hold of
thomas walsh as he was coming out of mass on a sunday and you made him a
preacher of the gospel you made him a sheep of god you made him a man
wise as a serpent and as harmless as a dove you made him a man that was
willing to endure suffering and ridicule and persecution and the
churches in these cities and these towns around us my god they were
willing to endure suffering but they kept preaching the gospel they had
the spirit of sacrifice they listened to the promises of god and they
triumphed over their enemy they raised up a testimony they arose
glorious and there are a generation will do the same for us oh god we
don't know what the year holds for us we don't know what lies ahead in
this decade of the 2020s but lord god this we want to do is to hear your
commission to go out and preach the gospel to this generation even in
the midst of waltz since it's an hour of waltz the government a world
government that's arising it's a wolf in this hour the lawyers are going
to be wolves the guards and police on the high street may turn against
you like wills but are you going to function as a church are you going
to be a coward hiding in the back of a church protecting yourself saying
i can't do the will of god you you don't know what would happen to me if
i'm a real christian god help us give us real christians again one last
time at the end of the stage and we'll see a revival again that's going
to sweep a multitude of souls in god bless

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Video: https://sermonindex2.b-cdn.net/CYDAIRLYASE.mp4
Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/keith-malcomson/sheep-among-wolves/
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