going to ask you to take your Bibles and make your way to the book of Matthew. Matthew chapter number 10 and we're going to be in verses 16 and the first part of verse number 17 this morning. Matthew chapter number 10 verse 16 and 17. Now I will state that of course whoever would listen to this sermon audio you'd be aware of this as well and I mentioned this this morning during the announcements This is the third version of this message. I originally preached this message, a different message, same verse, Matthew chapter 10 verse 16, back in June. Everybody was out of town save Cody and Lauren and I think the McCoskeys were here. that are here this morning and so you know that this is going to be somewhat of a repeat that I did preach a different version of this message at the conference yesterday at Grace Baptist Church down in North Carolina this is again we're gonna cover some of the same information this is an expanded version if you will of what I think the Lord would have me speak on in reference to Matthew chapter number 10 verses 16 and the first part of verse number 17. So let's read Matthew chapter 10 verse 16 and the first part of verse number 17. Matthew chapter 10 verse 16. 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. The title of the message this morning is Wise as Serpents. Let's pray. Father, we thank you for the time we could be in your house today. We rejoice in you and who you are. Lord, I thank you for your care and protection over the past few days and my journey out to North Carolina. And I thank you for the preaching there and the encouragement and the fellowship. And I just pray for those pastors and their families that would be traveling back home either today or tomorrow, just bless and Lord we pray that you would bless the rest of their conference and Lord we ask you today to be with those that are not able to be with us, Darlene being ill, and Lord be with those folks that are here. We pray that you'd Help us, Lord, to resist the temptations of the enemy, to start thinking about other things, and Lord, not to be fixed in and focused on the message that you have for us. Lord, we thank you for the institution of the church. We thank you for the way that you give us our spiritual food. And I pray that today, Lord, you'd help us to take this topic very seriously, that we would, in our walk here on this earth, Be wise as serpents. We thank you for all that you've done and we look forward to what you'll yet do. We ask that you'd meet with us, guide us, lead us, protect us. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Wise as serpents. The world is a dangerous place to live. Not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. Those words were spoken by none other than Albert Einstein. And I believe that Einstein was only partially correct. Like, who are you to bicker with Einstein? Well, I am going to give Einstein credit for partially what he's saying, but I do also want to make the point that the world is a dangerous place because of evil. and because of evil people. Now in our text that we read here we read verse 16 and the first part of verse 17 Jesus, in this chapter, in Matthew chapter number 10, what He's doing is He's offering wisdom for the ages for His people by way of this counsel that He gives in verse 16 and 17. And this counsel is designed to guide Christians in our earthly walk. Jesus prior to this, in verse 16, had called out the twelve. He refers to them first of all as disciples and secondly as apostles. He instructs them as He prepares to send them forth on their mission. He gives them specific instructions and details as to what they are to do and how they are to carry out their work and their mission. Now in our text and in the following verses, what He's doing is He's giving warnings to His people. and I say His people by way of extension for us today, and He gives them encouraging exhortations. He tells the apostles and us that we're going to face and suffer persecution in this world. Now, we may not all be called into the active ministry to preach the gospel and to serve as a pastor or a missionary. Yet the instruction that Jesus gives is for all of us. We are all to be wise as serpents. This is counsel that is good for all ages and good for all who would name the name of Christ. It is especially good due to the day in which we live. Christianity is under attack. Godly morals and biblical living is under attack. If you stand for anything that is right and proper according to the Word of God, you are going to be attacked. So, how do we respond? Do we just give up and go into a shell? No. We are to be wise as serpents. And investigating what the Lord said by way of this counsel to be wise as serpents, there are three facets of Jesus' counsel that He gives us that we need to investigate so that we as well might be wise as serpents. Here they are, these three facets. First of all, we need to see that we are exhorted to be wise as serpents due to the presence of danger. Secondly, the second facet, We must understand that we are going to encounter evil in performing our godly Christian duties. The third facet is that we must see that Jesus is instructing and giving counsel And he explains this counsel by way of a practical description. He tells us what he means and what he's talking about. So we want to consider these three facets this morning as we want to be in our lives wise as serpents. Now notice the first facet. We are exhorted to be wise as serpents due to the presence of danger. Jesus said in verse number 16, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Now, the quote that I read you at the beginning from Einstein, the world is a dangerous place to live, not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it. Well, I believe that that's a true statement, that the world is a dangerous place because of people that don't do anything about evil. But it is a dangerous place because evil exists. There is such a thing as evil. Not everything that takes place that is criminal or offensive to the senses of man and the senses of God is due to a mental illness. Not everybody is crazy. Evil exists. and people do mean and wicked things. Why? Because they are evil. And if we don't understand that, we're going to lead a difficult life here on this earth. There is a danger that we as Christians face in the world. This is what Jesus is saying to the apostles and by way of extension to us. He says, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. What is the explanation of this phrase? I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Well, let's first of all think about what he means when he calls the apostles sheep. He says, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. A sheep is a rather docile creature, is it not? A sheep is meek. It is harmless. In and of itself, it is weak. It is unable to protect itself. It is defenseless to attacks, from attacks to animals that would prey on them. The sheep, due to its innocence, its mildness, its submissions and patience, It renders it particularly suitable for attack and for sacrifice. In fact, what does the Bible say about the Lord Jesus Christ? that great prophet Isaiah who prophesied of the suffering servant 700 years before Jesus the Messiah would appear on the earth. In that great chapter of Isaiah, chapter number 53, Isaiah described the Lord Jesus Christ, the coming Messiah, in this way, in verse number 7 of Isaiah 53, he said, he was oppressed and he was afflicted. Yet he openeth not his mouth. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. Jesus Christ, who is the great shepherd of the sheep, is described in the manner in which we see sheep described in Scripture and of course in society. Now, the sheep is prone to wandering away from the shepherd and from the flock. The sheep is prone to going astray. We read this in multiple Bible passages, but going back to, again, Isaiah's prophecy. In Isaiah 53, we just read verse 7 where the Lord is described as a sheep. But then in verse 6, Isaiah describes the Lord's people as sheep. He says in Isaiah 53, verse 6, All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. This is reinforced in Psalm 119 verse 176 where the psalmist writes, I have gone astray like a lost sheep. And so the sheep is prone to wander, the sheep is prone to go astray and get away from the protection of the shepherd and the protection of the flock. Now, how does this tie in to what the Lord is saying to the apostles and by way of extension to us? Well, how are we described in Scripture? We are sheep. And the Lord gave His life for the sheep. And in John chapter number 10, that great passage of scripture that deals with Jesus as being the door and being the great shepherd of the flock, we find that believers are described as sheep. We are exhorted to be wise as serpents due to the presence of danger. What does this mean? Well, we are sheep. But that means nothing if we don't go forward and look at what else the Lord said. He said, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. In the midst of wolves. How do we think of a wolf? Wolf is described as fierce furious voracious ravenous cruel hurtful especially to sheep Listen to this description of wolves from the American track Society dictionary They write they are evil or excuse me. They are swift afoot strong enough to carry off a sheep at full speed and an overmatch for ordinary dogs In severe winters, wolves assemble in large troops, join in dreadful howlings and make terrible devastation. They are the peculiar object of terror to shepherds, as the defenselessness and timidity of the sheep render it an easy prey to wolves." What is Jesus saying? Jesus is saying, I'm sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. In other words, you're in danger. You're in danger. Let me ask you this. Have you ever been out anywhere and seen a sheep and been alarmed? Has anybody ever run into a house and said, lock the doors, give me my gun, there's a sheep out there. Nobody's ever done that. Nobody's afraid of a sheep. You think of a sheep, you want to pick that little thing up and, you know, after all, Mary had a little lamb, didn't she? You know, we're not intimidated, we're not frightened by sheep. But we are by wolves. I mean, you think of a wolf and you think of the fangs that are exposed and the danger that wolves can do. You know, nobody would say, you know, you're out on a hike, right? And you say, hey, there's a pack of wolves. Let's go play with the pack of wolves. Nobody would think to do that. Wolves are dangerous to sheep. Jesus described the danger that wolves can have to sheep in John chapter 10 and verse number 12 where the Lord said, But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. Now why does the hiring leave? Why does that shepherd leave? he doesn't care about the sheep well now think about this it's not only that he doesn't care about the sheep but he recognizes the danger of the wolf and he's not going to put himself in danger so he's going to leave and flee and protect himself and leave the sheep open to the attack of the wolves and notice what the Bible says and the wolf catcheth them. It literally means it seizes them. It literally bites and picks them up and the sheep will flail around as the wolf has it in its mouth. And the rest of the sheep do what? They are scattered. It means that they are stricken with terror and flee. Have you ever seen anything that was so alarming to you that you turned around and ran? Mean you know you're you're you're frightened. You're not going to stay and check it out. You know there are some things that you know It's like a train wreck and we you're we can't turn away from it, right? But there are other things that we see and we're man. We're out of here. Okay. I'll tell you what you Use that same illustration where you're out in the woods walking, and you know you see a snake coiled up up on the trail I don't know about you, but I'm turning around and I'm hauling the other way, okay I don't want to mess with the snake right and so We have to understand what Jesus is saying and communicating to the apostles and by way of the Word of God to us. That we are sent forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. We must understand that the Lord is exhorting us to be wise as serpents due to the presence of danger. There are some Christians that don't understand the presence of danger in this life. They are, forgive me, fat, dumb, and happy, and just going along enjoying life. They think that the world is their friend, and that because they're saved by the grace of God, nothing bad can happen to them. I won't be the victim of a violent crime. That would never happen to me. And so they just continue on, not even understanding the danger that they encounter. Years ago, you remember this commercial? I think it was for an insurance company where You know, there's this rabid dog that is chained up. You know, and it's barking and growling. It's by way of a cartoon. And there's this guy that walks up and he sees the dog and what's he doing? He wants to go over and pet the dog and of course the dog attacks him. Right? Are we not aware of the presence of danger in this life? Jesus says, I send you forth Be wise as serpents, because I am sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. He says, behold, I send you forth. Give attention to this. Give importance to this. Listen to what I'm saying. there is the existence of evil in this world. And we are exhorted to be wise as serpents because of the presence of danger. But I want you to notice the second facet here in our text that we see, and by way of extension as to what Jesus is saying, the second facet, we are to know that we are going to encounter evil while performing our duties. We are going to encounter evil while performing our duties. The Lord sent His apostles forth into the world. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. There are scenarios in which we are going to encounter these wolves. We've talked about the presence of danger, that we're exhorted to the presence of danger, but we must go a step further and understand the scenarios in which we're going to encounter this danger. And I think that sometimes we don't think about all of the scenarios in which we might encounter this danger that would require us to be wise as serpents. Notice this first scenario where we will encounter evil in performing our duties. It is in a sinful world. In a sinful world. John Gill wrote in reference to this verse, he wrote that we as sheep, as harmless, innocent, profitable, and defenseless creatures, are among spiteful, malicious, cunning, and cruel men. That's what the Lord is saying. That you, saved by the grace of God, and a loving person in your heart, you better rise up, and be wise as serpents because of the presence of danger. We are being sent forth among spiteful, malicious, cunning, and cruel men. Now, what did the Lord say to the 70 that He sent forth? So we have this instance here in Matthew chapter number 10 where the Lord sends the 12 apostles. He chooses and sends the 12 apostles. But do you know that the Lord also chose and sent 70 others? And you know what he said to the 70? Well, pretty much what he said to the 12. In Luke chapter 10 and verse number 3, the Lord said, Go your ways. Behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves. What's a lamb? It's a young sheep. It's a young sheep. And so the Lord is giving the same counsel and we, by extension again, know that this is applicable to us. We are to be wise as serpents because we are going to be encountering evil in the performance of our duties. We are going to be in danger in these scenarios when we are in a sinful world. Now, I want you to think about Jesus' intercessory prayer for the sheep. John chapter 17 and so go with me if you would over to John chapter number 17 notice John chapter number 17 And we could well read a number of passages in John 17, a number of verses in John 17, but I just want us to look at verses 14 through 18, and we're drawing the parallel here that we're going to encounter evil in performing our duties, and those duties are going to take us into a sinful world. That's where we are. Notice John chapter 17, verses 14 through 18. John chapter 17 verses 14 through 18. I have given them thy word. Now who is this that he's talking about? He's talking about us. He's talking about not only to the believers then that were present when the Lord was speaking, but also all those that would come after Him. We know this because He says it. But notice John 17 verse 14. I have given them thy word, and the world hath hated them. Do you understand that the world doesn't love you? If you're a child of God, the world is not ready to embrace you. Listen, there's a problem if you're popular with the world. There's a problem. I'm not talking about us, and forgive me, but I'm just going to be blunt. There are some Christians who just want to be weird to be different. Okay? We don't have to be weird to be different. Ladies, you don't have to wear a burlap sack. to be different. You can dress modestly and in a godly way without wearing a burlap sack. Men, we don't have to be weird. to be different. We're by virtue of the fact that we're saved by the grace of God, we are different from the world. I'm going to show you that in just a minute. But do you understand that the world does not love us? The world does not like the fact that we want to live according to the Word of God. They're offended by us. The book of Proverbs says that the righteous are an abomination to the wicked. They don't like us. If you're all about a popularity contest, being a believer is not the right place to be. It is not. And so notice, He says, And the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Now watch. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world. What does this relate to? It relates to our duties. We have a duty to remain in the world and do what God has called us to do and live according to the way that God has told us and exhorted us and commanded us to live. He says, I don't want you to take them out of the world, but now watch. But that thou shouldest keep them from what? The evil. You say, well, evil doesn't exist. Well, then you are contradictory to what Jesus Christ prayed to the Heavenly Father. You don't understand. You don't understand the Scriptures. You don't understand the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said, I want you to protect them from the evil. That's what the Lord is saying literally in His prayer. And then in verse 16, they are not of the world even as I am not of the world. That's the second time that He says it. We ought to pay attention to that. And then verse 17, Sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth as thou has sent me into the world Even so have I also sent them into the world We are sent into the world Jesus said in Matthew 10 verse 16 behold I send you forth in Luke chapter 10 of verse number 3 go your ways behold I send you forth and We are sent in to a sinful world. Now I don't want to be over dramatic this morning, but it is a dangerous world. It's a dangerous world. If you don't understand that it's a dangerous world, you need to take the visors off of your eyes. I don't say that to scare people this morning, and I know that my daughters would be somewhat bitter against the way that I raised them for being strict and wanting to protect them from evil, and I'm not apologizing for it. I don't say that out of pride, but I did my best to be a godly father and to protect them from evil. And I will not apologize for that. It is a dangerous place. And we are amiss if we don't understand that it is a dangerous world. Come to work with me. Look at the cases that I look at every day. Last week, I charged a guy with raping his niece. It's wicked, it's evil, it's disgusting. I know Cody and Lauren know somewhat about that as well and the trips that they make in trying to treat people with these medical situations. I see the worst of people, the depravity, the wickedness that man perpetrates upon fellow man. Don't tell me that evil doesn't exist. Don't tell me that the world is not a dangerous place. We are going to suffer persecution for our testimony. We're not of the world. The world doesn't love us. The world isn't, you know, you're not going to get a call from Joe Biden this afternoon wanting to have lunch with you at the White House. You're not going to get a call from Schumer and Pelosi and the rest of that group. You probably won't even get a call from, you know, from Kevin McCarthy or poor Mitch McConnell. who shamefully was allowed to return to his job by some doctor. I don't even know what they're talking about. This poor guy needs to go home and enjoy his retirement. It's a dangerous world. And we're going to face persecution and maybe prosecution as well. Maybe the Lord didn't have me slip there. Maybe that's intentional. The Lord wanted me to say that. We're going to face persecution and maybe prosecution for our testimony. This is what the Lord is saying in John 16. And you know what? As hurtful as it is, you know some of these are going to be from our own family. You don't believe me? You don't believe me? Read Matthew chapter number 10 and verse number 16 where he goes down and he says in verse number 21, 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, go to the next. We're not in a popularity contest. We face evil because of who we are. You want to talk about racism and equality and human rights and all that you hear today about the transgender movement and all that ridiculous idiocy. Christians are persecuted simply because of who they are. It's true. It's a reality. You're not popular. I hate to tell you that. You're not popular. If you're living for the Lord and you want to honor the Lord, you are not popular. So what does that mean? Be wise as serpents. Jesus says, I'm sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. You know, David in the Old Testament focused on this very topic in Psalm 17, verses 13 and 14. In Psalm 17, verses 13 and 14, the Bible reads, Arise, O Lord, disappoint him, cast him down. Deliver my soul from the wicked, which is thy sword. Verse 14, From men which are thy hand, O Lord. Now get this, from men of the world. men of the world, which have their portion in this life, in whose belly thou fillest with thy hidden treasure, that are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes." David says, protect me from the wicked, from men of this world. I can't tell you how many times my heart is broken at work when I receive and review another warrant application for a criminal sexual assault. And it's a young lady who put herself in a bad position. You'll never hear me blame the victim. But you can be naive. And you can put yourself in a position that is going to cause you trouble. I've got a case right now with the defendant. I really believe there's credible evidence that this guy's not only a serial rapist, but perhaps a serial killer, based upon his interviews with the state police. And this woman meets this guy on a city bus. And they exchange numbers, and he invites her over to his house. And she goes over to his house under the auspices of watching a movie and getting something to eat. He attacks her, binds her, takes her down to the basement. There's a mattress in the basement. He ties her up, and I won't tell you what all else he did. She escaped from the house eventually, naked, ran for help, wounded, rushed to the hospital. Why are you going to this guy's house when you just met him on the city? Bud, you don't know this guy. That is in no way blaming that victim. You must understand that. My heart goes out there. Be wise as serpents. Be wise as serpents, because we are going to encounter evil in a sinful world. We are to beware of men. Look at verse number 17. The Lord says, but beware of men. We're to beware of men. We're not supposed to be naive and just believe every word that somebody tells us. We are to beware of men. Now, lest you think that I'm being overdramatic this morning, and I'm painting only one side of the picture. Beware. Be sober. Be vigilant. Be cautious. Be wise as a serpent. But don't live in fear. Don't live in fear. And you say, well, brother, how can you say, how can you tell me all this and give me this illustration and then tell me not to live in fear? Well, here's how. Look at Matthew chapter number 10, verse number 26. Matthew chapter 10, verse 26. Brother Steve, I lied to you. I said this probably wasn't going to be as long as normal. Pray for me. Matthew 10, verse 26. Fear them not therefore. Do you see that? How can you live in this life without fear, knowing what a dangerous place it is? By the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and heeding what He tells us. He says, fear them not. Therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light, and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon a housetop. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul, but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your father, but the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows. Why shouldn't you live in fear? Because the Lord's got our back. The Lord loves us and protects us. And look man, You say to me, you say, preacher, so on one hand you're telling me to understand what a dangerous, wicked place this world is and that we're supposed to be vigilant and be on the lookout, but on the other hand you're telling me not to live in fear. Yes, that's what I'm saying. I'm saying that that's what Jesus said. He said, what I read you were the words of Jesus. Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, And then he says, but don't live in fear. Don't live in fear. Is it possible to apply both? It is, and we can, and we should. So, we're talking about encountering evil and performing our duties in a sinful world, and how about this? In the Savior's worship, now you know this, because you've been in this church for a while. You've seen it. Okay? You've seen it. Do you know, hold on to your seats, Do you know that evil comes to church? Evil comes to church. You say, we're in the Lord's house. Once we enter into the Lord's house, it's a bastion of protection and the enemy can't infiltrate. Well, you're unwise. You've seen it. You know it. Man, listen, abusers love churches. And abusers love churches because, by and large, churches are full of people that are naive. And most of the time it is the abuser who gets all the support of the church instead of the victim. Man, listen. There is evil that can infiltrate even the Lord's churches. And it can come from the people or it can come from the pastor. You don't believe this? Turn with me in your Bible to the book of Acts. Notice Acts chapter number 20. Acts chapter number 20, and I want you to notice what the Bible says here in Acts chapter number 20 as Paul is saying goodbye to the Ephesian elders. He met them in Miletus and he wants to get together with them and speak to them. They're not going to see him on this earth anymore. And I want you to notice Acts chapter 20 verse 29. Acts chapter 20 verse number 29. By the way, the context of this is that he is telling them to make sure that they're protecting what? The flock. He's referring to the people of God and the members of the church of Ephesus as sheep. He's telling them to protect the flock. Then notice verse 29. For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Now let me ask you this, where are these wolves going to come from? Look at verse number 30. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them. Therefore, watch and remember that by the space of three years I cease not to warn everyone night and day with tears." You think Paul was concerned about wolves? Well, why would he, for three years, not cease to warn them with tears about what could happen when he departed? He knew the danger. He understood the danger. Matthew 7, verse 15 reads this way, Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Wolves infiltrate the Lord's churches. Just because somebody says they're a believer doesn't mean they're a believer. There are abusers in the Lord's churches. What is an abuser? Always remember, that what literally defines an abuser is their quest for power and control. And they will do whatever they have to to maintain or get power and control. There have been people in this church that have left, and maybe you didn't understand they were abusers. I did. I just read what they wrote. Or I listened to what they said. A quest for power and control. By the way, I don't mean that everybody that's left the church is that way. But there certainly have been those that it's very clear this is about power and control. You won't preach that to me. You can't say that to me. I'll preach the Word of God. And if you don't want me to pastor anymore, then make the vote. But I will preach the Word of God and not compromise. Abusers infiltrate churches. They are eventually exposed as to who they are. It is a quest for power and control. I just resolved a case last week. I don't know if I told you about it. I think I might have told you about this case. Pastor in East St. Louis at the time, it's 2017, nobody charged it. I come in, I charge it in 2020 or 2021. A poor family has their water shut off. And they can't afford to keep the water on. Eventually they get enough money to get the water turned on. They don't know how to turn the water valve on. So they have their pastor come over, 65 year old guy, 300 something pounds, six foot four. to turn the water main valve on, the moms at work, the 19-year-old daughters at home. Now what's wrong with that? First of all, if you're a pastor of any kind of character, you don't enter the house. You don't put yourself in a position where you're alone with a 19-year-old, okay? And he sexually assaulted her. Isn't that shameful? The guy's a pastor, and he sexually assaulted this woman. And last week at the plea, he sat there and cried like a baby. Couldn't get his words out. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And you know what? He's still a pastor. He's still a pastor. Man, listen, we can exist. Did you all know that in May of 2022, there was an investigation into the Southern Baptist Convention? We've heard a lot about Catholicism and the priests that have abused young children, mainly young boys and young women as well. But in May 2022, there was a report that was released by the Southern Baptist Convention as a result of an investigation into multiple instances, credible instances, of sexual abuse by pastors or other key leaders in the Southern Baptist Convention. The Southern Baptist Convention in May of 2022 released a 205-page database. You can look it up. I've been on it. I've looked names up on it. A 205 page public database with 700 cases in allegations of sexual abuse in churches. 19 years. These people covered up, these children suffering sexual abuse by leaders and deacons and pastors. protecting these wicked reprobates in the Southern Baptist Convention. God saw. God's already judged. How shameful for a church and a group to protect people that prey on the most innocent in our society. Their executive committee put out a statement. One of the guys that put out the statement, you might recognize this name, his name was Willie McLaurin. You recognize that name? I told you about him a few weeks ago. He was forced to resign about a month ago because he falsified his resume. He put that he went to three schools and had degrees from three schools that he didn't have degrees from. Same guy who covered up the sexual abuse. Man, listen, don't think that evil doesn't lurk. in the Savior's worship. Then how about this scenario in which we might be careful and understand that we're going to encounter evil in our secular work. In our secular work. The Lord says, be wise as serpents. That means we're to be sober and visible. We're going to talk more about what that means in just a few moments, but we're supposed to seek the will of God. How about this? In identifying our job. Have you ever asked yourself, am I in the wrong job? Some of us would never do that. Because you know why? We don't want to know. We don't pray about the job that we have. We don't think about the ramifications upon our family or upon our service for the Lord. We don't care. We're going to do what we want to do and you can't tell me different. You're a nominal Christian if a Christian at all. You're a nominal Christian. God's just as interested in your job as He is the other parts of your life. You spend most of your day there. How's your job affecting your family? How's your job affecting your walk with the Lord? And yet, we just do do do do do. Doesn't affect me. We're to be wise as serpents. Am I in the right job? Am I in the right location for my job? I'm going over here and I'm moving to this city because I can have a nice job and I can buy a home and I can make all this money. Oh, yeah, there's not a true church here, but that's okay. We'll be alright. You won't be alright unless you're satisfied being a nominal Christian and you don't want to walk with the Lord. It's true. We're not wise as serpents as it relates to our jobs. And then how about this? Temptations on the job. The strange woman or, we don't hear this much, the strange man. Oh, you know, I see that you're struggling with this. Let's spend time together. I'll help you with this. Oh, you know, if I were married to you or if we were together, I wouldn't treat you like that guy treats you or that woman treats you. Oh, you just deserve so much better. I'd be so much more kinder to you. You are so great. And then that person, whether it be the man or the woman, starts thinking, wow, this person really cares about me. Maybe I'm with the wrong person. And we shake our heads, no, but you know it happens. You know it happens. I've seen it happen. We're to be wise as serpents in our secular jobs and we're to be wise as serpents in our spiritual warfare, understanding first of all that we are at war spiritually and how to fight. In Ephesians chapter number 6 we've been looking at the pieces of armor and we started out by pointing out that the enemy is going to come at us and attack us. He knows where to attack. He knows how to get you. He knows what your weaknesses are. If we were to sit down and talk some day, I have nothing to hide. I'll share with you how the enemy attacks me. There's a couple of ways that if I don't have my armor on, the enemy is going to get a shot in. And you need to know those ways in your life that the enemy will attack you. Paul wrote to the church at Corinth in 2 Corinthians 2, verse 11, he wrote, lest Satan should get an advantage of us, for we are not ignorant of his devices. We're supposed to be wise as serpents and not ignorant of the way the enemy attacks us. The word devices there means his purposes or his intellect. Don't be ignorant of that. Know how the enemy will attack you. Well, we must move on. There's a third facet that we consider in the Lord's exhortation to be wise as serpents. He explains to us what he means by way of a practical description. He says in Matthew chapter 10 and verse number 16, what we've read so far, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Now watch. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Because of what I've told you about this danger, you need to be wise as serpents. And also, harmless as doves. Now think of the serpent, right? It is not a compliment to be called a snake. And I said to Brother Sam yesterday in the message at the conference, I said, Brother Sam, you wouldn't want somebody to come up and say, hey, brother, you old snake, how you doing? That's not a compliment. A snake is a derogatory term. It's a pejorative term. The snake is subtle. In Genesis chapter 3 and verse number 1, the Bible says, Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And the word subtle there means cunning, crafty, and eight times in the Old Testament it's translated by the word prudent. Now wait a minute. The Lord's telling us to be wise as serpents? Now listen to me. Not to be like or as a serpent, but to be wise as a serpent. The application is very specific. He doesn't say, man, you're headed for evil, I'm sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, so become a serpent. And be on the attack, and bite, and be out ready to kill. protect yourself. That's not what he said. He said be wise as serpents. Snakes are at a disadvantage. They're on the ground. That's the curse of the serpent. He's on the ground crawling on his belly. He's at a disadvantage to other creatures and his head is vulnerable. How do you kill a snake? Nobody in their right mind says, oh, there's a cottonmouth in the backyard. Let me go kill that so I can protect the family. I'm going to chop its tail off. Well, how ignorant is that? No, what you do to kill a snake is what? You strike a blow to the head. Genesis chapter 3, verse number 15, that's what the Lord meant when he said Christ would deliver a death blow to the head of the serpent. The serpent has to use various methods and stratagems to survive. The serpent or the snake is adept at avoiding danger and being able to quickly escape. This is what the Lord is talking about. We are to be wise as serpents. We are to, like the serpent, employ a subtlety and sharpness in our sight and in our actions in order to avoid danger that could result in our demise. That's what he's talking about. Robertson's word picture says this about the snake. The serpent was the emblem of wisdom or shrewdness, intellectual keenness, and that's what the Lord is saying. Literally, he is saying what Peter wrote about our adversary, where Peter said, you have an adversary who seeks to devour you and gulp you down entirely, therefore be sober, be vigilant. What's he saying? Be wise as the serpent. Be aware. Be wise. We talk about the comparison and what is the conduct of the serpent. The serpent is wise. Be wise as serpents. The Lord says in Matthew chapter 10, in verse number 16, He says, Be wise as serpents. The word wise there means intelligent, wary, prudent, mindful of one's interests. It implies a cautious character. It denotes prudence with regard to our own safety. We should exercise wisdom, care, and prudence in protecting ourselves from unnecessary dangers. Did you get that? We should exercise wisdom, care, and prudence in protecting ourselves from unnecessary dangers in every area of life, in a sinful world, in our Savior's worship, in our secular jobs, in our spiritual warfare, We ought to exercise this prudence. I've said this before, but oftentimes lost people are smarter than saved people in the affairs of this life. The Lord said that. Don't think that I'm putting Christians down in a way that the Lord did not instruct. There's the parable of the unjust steward in Luke chapter 16. And in Luke chapter number 16 and verse number 8, we read these words. This is a parable that the Lord spoke in Luke 16 verse 8. The Bible reads, And the Lord commended the unjust steward because he had done wisely. For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light. The world is oftentimes wiser than Christians. The world sometimes puts Christians to shame in their wisdom in the affairs on this earth, not talking about spiritual matters, but affairs on this earth. The world oftentimes exercises prudence when Christians don't. John Milton famously wrote about prudence that it is the virtue by which we discern what is proper to be done under various circumstances of the time and place. The character trait of prudence is exercising wise caution in relation to practical matters and using forethought in making those decisions. We're not to be simple-minded. Oh, here's a new person in the church. We don't know anything about them, but they say they love Christ and so let's leave them alone with the kids. Let's give them a key to the building. Are you kidding me? We're to exercise prudence. We're not to be simple-minded and believe everything. In Proverbs chapter 22 verse 3 and also 27-12, Solomon wrote, A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on or are punished. In Proverbs 14 verse 15, the simple believeth every word, but the prudent man looketh well to his going. We're supposed to be prudent and not simple-minded. We do have to discuss the fact that we're also supposed to be harmless as doves. The dove is known for its beauty, its purity, its love, its unity, its innocence. It is universally representative of love and peace and Christianity. The dove is emblematic of the Holy Spirit, right? And so we're to be harmless as doves. Doves are harmless. That means that they're guileless, they're innocent, they are unmixed in their activities. And we're told by Paul that we're to be blameless and harmless. This is Philippians 2 verse 15. That we're to be blameless and harmless the sons of God without rebuke in the midst of, get this, a crooked and perverse nation among whom ye shine as lights in the world. Paul says you're in the midst of evil. You're in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation. You're supposed to be harmless. So we're to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. And we conclude with this. We must blend these two together in order to follow Jesus' counsel correctly. In other words, we can't just be wise as the serpent without being harmless as a dove. And we can't be harmless as a dove without being wise as a serpent. They go together, right? And I want to give you warning. And I alluded to this a little bit earlier. Applying the wrong characteristics of the snake is going to be deadly to our Christian walk. It's going to be deadly to our Christian walk. We're to imitate the serpent's wariness, but not his wiliness. Don't take from this that we're to be wise as the serpent, so I'm going to be shady. You know, I'm going to do all this kind of stuff, you know, over here, go look over here while I rob you over here. We're to be wise as serpents, not wily. And there are often times when we as Christians, we behave like the snake in other ways that the snake behaves. Now, I told you that the snake certainly uses defense mechanisms in order to survive. And oftentimes we use these same defense mechanisms when we shouldn't. How does a snake survive? Well, first of all, it disguises itself. And we can be guilty of disguising ourselves such that we fit into the world. You know that the world doesn't love you, it hates you. And so you say, well I don't want to be hated, so I'm going to disguise myself and no one will know that I'm a Christian. Shame on us. and hiding. We're absent from our post. We're absent from doing what the Lord called us to do and so we neglect our duties. The snake plays dead. And sometimes we act like we did when we were spiritually dead. We're no longer dead in trespasses and sins. We've been raised to newness of life. We've been quickened by the grace of God. How about this? The snake, certain snakes emit a foul smelling odor. in order to survive. The eastern rat snake emits a foul-smelling odor. It puts you on the defensive. You're like, wow. What is it, the water moccasin that smells like cucumbers? What snake smells like cucumbers? Yeah, OK. So man, listen. Sometimes we stink. Our testimony stinks. Our giving stings, both in our resources and of ourselves and our monetary to the Lord. We stink. We emit a foul-smelling odor. We're not supposed to be like the serpent in that way. And then lastly, how about this? The serpent will hiss, bite, and inflict venom and poison. And we ought not to be so. I believe I used this illustration in one of the other messages, but we oftentimes bite. even our own brothers and sisters. Look, it's okay for us to disagree, but when you disagree and you're going to write something that's by... Oh, he's handling the Word of God deceitfully. No, you know what? Maybe I've studied this perhaps even more than you've studied it. And I come to a different conclusion. I'm not handling the Word of God deceitfully. Oh, he's handling the Word of God deceitfully. He's wandered away from the old traditions of the brethren. Well, you know what? I want to follow Jesus' traditions and His Word. I like to read old Baptist preachers and hear what they have to say, but I don't believe what I believe because of what a Pendleton, Graves, Pink, Spurge, and others wrote. I believe what I believe because I've studied the Word of God. And we bite. and we inflict that venom. We're like the farmer and the snake in Aesop's fable. The farmer walked through his field one cold winter morning. On the ground lay a snake, stiff and frozen with the cold. The farmer knew how deadly the snake could be, and yet he picked it up and put it in his bosom to warm it back to life. The snake soon revived, and when it had enough strength, bit the man who had been so kind to it. Of course, the farmer died. Why are we biting our Christian brothers and sisters? We read things that are so biting and frankly often times lack a biblical defense. And we bite each other, we devour each other. Isn't that what James said? You bite and devour one another. It's shameful. Listen. We ought to blend the two together. We ought to be wise as the serpent and harmless as the dove. I'll close with this quote from Brother Spurgeon. Spurgeon wrote, Grace knows how to pick the good out of the evil. The wisdom from the serpent. Grace knows how to blend the most gentle with the most subtle to take away from prudence, the base element, which makes it into cunning by mingling innocence with it. produce a sacred prudence most valuable for all walks of life. We ought to do that. We ought to be as wise as the serpent without employing these other defense mechanisms. Listen, I know I've gone long this morning, but we needed to consider these three facets of Jesus' counsel to be wise as serpents. We're exhorted to be wise as serpents due to the presence of danger. We need to understand that we're going to encounter evil while we are performing our duties. Jesus said, Behold, I send you forth. And he explains what he means by way of a practical description. Be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Pray for one another that we indeed might understand the dangers in this world, not be fearful, but be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Let's pray.