The Flock is in Danger

 A flock most commonly refers to a group of sheep or a group of people.

In most instances, there is a shepherd who leads the flock. The sheep would have owners and the people would be under the guidance of a leader.

This is of course the ideal situation, because we would expect the shepherd or the leader to take their flock to green pastures or provide the best advice or direction for them.

But alas, we live in a world that is not ideal, though when God created it, He pronounced it was good. 

Genesis chapter 1 verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, and 25, with verse 31 closing it out like this: “God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good and He validated it completely...(AMP)

Not long after, as the account in the Bible has it, God was looking at His creation and realised that things could be better.

Genesis 2:18, “Now the Lord God said, “It is not good (beneficial) for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper [one who balances him—a counterpart who is] suitable and complementary for him.””

A little later on, in Genesis chapter 3, there was a shift from “good” to “not good” when Adam and Eve disobeyed God by eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This is where sin was introduced into the world, leading to the curse and the eventual hardships that humanity faces. 

So the original goodness of creation became marred, so to speak,  at that point.

Thanks be to God for His infinite wisdom and His plan of salvation. He knew what was going to happen and He didn’t leave us helpless or hopeless. Hallelujah!

Genesis 3:15, ““And I will put enmity (open hostility) Between you and the woman, And between your seed (offspring) and her Seed; He shall [fatally] bruise your head, And you shall [only] bruise His heel.” 

Further, in Galatians 4:4&5, it says, “But when [in God’s plan] the proper time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the [regulations of the] Law, so that He might redeem and liberate those who were under the Law, that we [who believe] might be adopted as sons [as God’s children with all rights as fully grown members of a family].”

For clarification here, the Apostle Paul was talking about, yes freedom from legalism, but not the abolition of God’s laws. Rather, he was emphasising that our salvation is more about the grace of God and our faith in God, not just strictly the keeping of these laws. 

But throughout the ages, even up to today, we continue to fuss and fight, misinterpret or interpret the Bible to suit our purposes, creating division in the Body of Christ.

That’s why, again, it’s so important for us to take up our Bibles and ask God for spiritual discernment as we read and study, by cross referencing scriptures and other selected writings. 

Why? Because we are seeking knowledge and understanding of who God is and how we should live to please Him. Amen?!

But alas, it’s not that easy or straightforward is it? The road is not as broad as we’d like. In fact, it gets so narrow sometimes we wonder if this is the right road.

The roadblocks, the struggles, the discouragement, the health, financial and relationship challenges. You’re doing what you can to advance, to progress in life, but it seems your best is not good enough. And you are stagnant or worse, you are back peddling.

Those you think would encourage you have ulterior motives. In fact, you are part of a church, a ministry, a team, a family, a circle of friends, and within that supposedly safe space, up rises a viper, a traitor, a false prophet, a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

What do you do? As the flock, we look to The Shepherd. Amen?!

Psalms 23:1-4 “The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, to guide and to shield me], I shall not want. He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still and quiet waters. He refreshes and restores my soul (life); He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the [sunless] valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort and console me.”

Many times we go astray and we are in danger of destruction. We know right from wrong. We can feel ourselves slipping. And we see people who once were strict in their faith, mixing and mingling and dabbling.

But thank God for The Shepherd. There is hope.

1 Peter 2:25 “For you were continually wandering like [so many] sheep, but now you have come back to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

God knew this would happen and that’s why He sent the Good Shepherd.

John 10:11  “I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd lays down His [own] life for the sheep.”

So what is our responsibility? 

We look to the Word of God.

The Apostle Paul was giving his farewell address to the elders of the church in Ephesus in Acts chapter 20, and it speaks to us today as well. 

Paul had completed several missionary journeys. He had established churches throughout the Roman Empire, including in Ephesus, where he spent about three years, longer than in most other places. But it was now time to leave for Jerusalem, even though he knew hardship and imprisonment awaited him.

So in his farewell message, he gave this warning, suggesting that the flock is in danger. 

Let’s go to verses 29&30 of Acts chapter 20.  It says, “I know that after I am gone, [false teachers like] ferocious wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; even from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse and distorted things, to draw away the disciples after themselves [as their followers].”

Paul is warning us about dangerous individuals who will come amongst us as church brothers and sisters, as friends, in our midst here at ZJoyVI, in your individual ministries, but they are really a threat to our spiritual well-being. 

He calls them grievous ones. Somebody troubled them sometime ago and they haven’t gotten over it, so everyone in their path is a target. And here, dare I say, that some of us may not even realize this is us on the attack. But I pray that if that is me, if that is you, that we will make a dash to getting help so that we can come out of that danger zone and make a change for the better.

Paul also referred to these people as savage wolves. They are big and bad and loud and go about being bullies, forcing their way into your midst, trying to convert everyone to their ideologies. They have a lot of good in them, but there’s that bit of false teaching and divisiveness that will negatively impact the vulnerable and lead people astray.

The dangerous thing about this is that, as the Apostle Paul emphasizes, these threats may even arise from within our closest ranks. So we need to be on the alert all the time every time. Beware of those persons who know what makes you tick or those whom you look up to, spiritually. Make sure you know them to be genuine.

Paul's warning in the book of Acts, is just as relevant today as it was in the first century. 

Family, our spiritual well-being is in jeopardy. And more and more as we see people close to us falling back into the ways of the world.

We hear about the apostasy among spiritual leaders, some who see nothing wrong with LGBTQ+ or with tearing down one another to gain a following. More and more sometimes we ourselves get weary in well doing, we get lackadaisical, and become disheartened.

But I want to encourage us today to look up, for our redemption draweth nigh.

Luke 21:28 “Now when these things begin to occur, stand tall and lift up your heads [in joy], because [suffering ends as] your redemption is drawing near.””

But all the while, the flock is still in danger. So, again, what do we do?

As Christians today, we are called to be vigilant and discerning so that we can recognize falsehood.

We have to deepen our knowledge of scripture.

Acts 17:11 “Now these people were more noble and open-minded than those in Thessalonica, so they received the message [of salvation through faith in the Christ] with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.”

As believers today we have to hold fast to sound doctrine. We cannot waiver or be tempted to switch because we hear something enticing from someone who is more charismatic or charming than who we are accustomed to.

2 Timothy 1:14 “Guard [with greatest care] and keep unchanged, the treasure [that precious truth] which has been entrusted to you [that is, the good news about salvation through personal faith in Christ Jesus], through [the help of] the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”

As followers of Jesus Christ, we must remain accountable. Some folks don’t like that. They live in a world where they do what they want, when, where and how they want and you don’t dare tell them a thing. But, they can tell everybody else everything when they want. 

Fam, it doesn’t work like that. I am not your sister or brother in Christ if the truth is not upheld in our circle. That’s why the flock is in danger.

The church, as the flock of God, is in danger. The family is in danger because of competition and contention and jealousy and lack of togetherness. Our friends circles similarly. Some persons are just not genuine. They have selfish motives, a don’t care attitude. Some are just taking life for  granted.

As a result, there is division in homes, at our workplaces, in the church, in the community, in our nations, in the world. 

What I want for us to understand is that discord starts in the hearts of one person. Then it spreads to the flock, to the masses. 

The key to overcoming these dangers is vigilance, unity, adherence to sound doctrine, and reliance on God’s grace.

The Apostle Paul’s warnings serve as a reminder that we must always be aware of the spiritual battles we face and take proactive steps to protect  ourselves from the darts of the enemy.

Then our families will be stronger, our workplaces will be more united, our churches will grow.

Hebrews 10:23-24 admonishe, “Let us seize and hold tightly the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is reliable and trustworthy and faithful [to His word]; and let us consider [thoughtfully] how we may encourage one another to love and to do good deeds.”

We cannot do this without the Holy Spirit to grant us wisdom and discernment. As we face the challenges of life, the guidance of our Good Shepherd is needed so that we would always make decisions that honour God and align with His truth.

So yes the flock is in danger. We are the flock. We are the sheep. But there is hope for us.

Hebrews 13:20-21 “Now may the God of peace [the source of serenity and spiritual well-being] who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood that sealed and ratified the eternal covenant, equip you with every good thing to carry out His will and strengthen you [making you complete and perfect as you ought to be], accomplishing in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Let us protect ourselves and others from the "savage wolves" that threaten our faith today. Because faith is the victory that overcomes the world. 

Family, let us be good sheep and be guided by the Good Shepherd. John 10:27 says, The sheep that are My own hear My voice and listen to Me; I know them, and they follow Me.

aub - 12 Aug 24

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