Sermon Tone Analysis

The children beg and beg for a hamster, and finally get one.

They name the hamster Danny and they fervently promise mom they will feed him and water him and clean out his cage.

Two months later, Mom finds herself the only one caring for Danny.

She finally decides Danny has to go.

She locates a prospective new home for it and inform the kids.

The children take the news with sadness, but acceptance.

“He's been around here a long time,” the oldest says sadly, “we'll sure miss him.”

Another child says, “Well, maybe if he wouldn't eat so much and wouldn't be so messy, we could keep him.”

But Mom is firm.

“It's time to take him to his new home now,” she insists.

“Go and get Danny’s cage.”

The children look at her in horror and cry out “Danny?

We thought you said /Daddy/!”

In spite of what some seem to believe, there is a big difference between a monkey and a man, between a baboon and a baby, between a dog and a daughter.

But at the same time, there are qualities in animals that mirror the attitudes of human beings.

We say a hardheaded person is as stubborn as a (mule).

The guy with the bulging muscles is as strong as an (ox).

The sneaky character nobody trusts is sly as a (fox).

The little man who is so timid we call as meek as a (mouse).

Our Lord often compares people to animals.

Yesterday I was in, of all places, the UPS store in Florence where there is a large painting of Jesus surrounded by a flock of sheep at a watering hole.

He calls us Himself the Good Shepherd and all of us His sheep.

In one of His most frightening parables Christ divides humanity into two groups—the sheep whom He welcomes into heaven, and the goats who are told /I never knew you /and are sent to hell.

Tonight we’re going to take a closer look at some animal metaphors Jesus uses to describe His disciples which teach us something about who we ought to be.

Our text is *Matt.

10:16*.

*PRAYER*

         *Matt.

10:16 *was first spoken by Christ to His 12 apostles as they go out on their first preaching tour.

*V.

1* tells us He gives them power over demons and diseases, and sends them first to the Jews.

But a careful reading of the speech tells us He’s not just speaking to them, but many others who’ll go out in His Name.

I believe you can extend these words to speak to all of us who follow Him./ /This verse uses helps us understand how to navigate our way through this jungle the Bible calls /the world.

/The first thing He says is that we are to be

*1.

**As harmless as lambs.*

Animals come in handy when it comes to naming our sports teams.

The Atlanta Falcons.

The Indianapolis Colts.

The Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Chicago Bears.

The Los Angeles Lambs—I mean Rams.

We don’t name our teams after lambs, because lambs are not aggressive.

The only thing threatened by a lamb is a pasture full of grass.

Which is why this first comparison doesn’t sound very comforting: /Behold, I send you out as /

/sheep in the midst of wolves…//Lord, is that really a good strategy?

I mean some of us might get hurt!

/Actually, the danger level is much greater.

* Romans 8:36* /As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

/

/        /Jesus says as much in *vs.

21-22*.

How does this apply to us?

How are we to be like sheep?

Well first, He warns us we must /understand the danger/.

When you follow Jesus you can expect to be attacked and harassed by the wolves of the world.

*Vs.

17-18* warn Christ’s disciples the wolves will arrest them, beat them, and hand them over for trial and punishment.

*Vs.

21* says even their own family members will betray them.

*Vs.

22* says His sheep will be hated more than anybody else on earth.

But notice what our Lord says in *vs.

23*: /When they persecute you in this city, flee to another.

/ He tells us /you must respond the right way to persecution./

Don’t muster up any armies, don’t mount any protests, or don’t plan any counterattacks.

Escape if you can, and if you cannot, bear whatever happens humbly and gracefully, without anger or hatred or revenge.

That doesn’t appeal to us much, does it?

We’d rather fight it out with the wolves, scratch, kick or bite our way free from persecution.

But that’s not what sheep do.

That’s not what our Shepherd did.

*Isaiah 53:7* /He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

/

        He doesn’t ask us to do anything He Himself doesn’t do.

He’s the Lamb of God Who walked among wolves, and the wolves not only persecute Him—they slaughter Him.

If you’re going to follow Jesus, He wants to be sure you understand the danger.

*1 Peter 4:12–13* /12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; 13but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.

/

        Being His sheep in this world is no Sunday School picnic.

The wolves harass you and persecute you and will tear you to pieces if they get the chance.

All over the world, from Iran to Communist China, believers testify to the reality of living like sheep in the midst of wolves.

Here in America, things haven’t gotten that bad /yet.

/But you and I experience it to a much lesser degree.

A new Christian often loses a lot of their friends.

Family problems often crop up, especially between a new believer and their husband~/wife~/parents.

People make fun of you for believing the Bible, for telling them Jesus is the only Way to Heaven, for going to church or for forgiving your enemies.

If you are a well-known figure, they’ll criticize you for standing up for the Lord, or kneeling down on a football field.

To the wolves you are weak, helpless, vulnerable, /sheepish./

In reality, you are just following your Shepherd.

If we follow Him as His sheep, partaking of His sufferings, we can expect to one day be with Him.

Jesus calls us to be sheep in the midst of wolves—aware of the danger, ready to humbly suffer and even die for the One Who died for us.

But He goes on to tell us to be

*2.

**As shrewd as serpents.

*

A young salesman walks into a manager’s office and says "I don't suppose you want to buy any life insurance, do you?"

"No," replies the manager.

"I didn't think so," says the salesman dejectedly, gets up to leave.

"Wait a minute," said the manager.

"Sit down.

I want to talk to you."

The salesman sits down.

"I supervise salesmen," says the manager, "and you're the worst I've ever seen.

You'll never sell anything without more confidence.

Now, to help you out, I’ll sign up for a $10,000 policy."

After the manager signs on the dotted line, he says, "Young man, you need to work on your sales presentation.”

The salesman smiles, and says, “Oh I don’t know about that.

You’re the 5th manager this week who’s bought a $10,000 policy from me!”