Sheep In Wolf Country Matthew 10:16 Matthew 10:16  Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Introduction: A. We find two animals mentioned in this verse: 1. Sheep. God's people. 2. Wolves. Satan's people. B. Why God's people are compared to sheep. Why did He use this animal to represent us? 1. Sheep are wayward.      Isa. 53:6 All we like the sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way. a. The nature of a sheep is to wander away from the shepherd and the fold. b. When they go astray they cannot find their way back. A horse, a dog, a cat can find their way back home, but a sheep cannot. 2. Sheep are weak. a. Other animals have a way of protecting themselves. They can bite, claw, scratch, run. But a sheep is defenseless. C. Here we are now; poor helpless, wayward sheep, in wolf country. The wolf is vicious. Also the wolves are constantly on the search for sheep. I. Sheep Must Stay Close To The Shepherd While In Wolf Country A. The only safe place for a sheep to be while in wolf country is near the Good Shepherd.      Psa. 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. B. For this reason we are admonished to stay close to God at all times.      Jas. 4:8a Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. 1. A little girl, who was afraid of the dark, would not go to sleep when she was in her own bed at night. The father and mother adopted this plan: they would let her go to bed with them, and then when she went to sleep they would move her to her bed. She was not afraid when with her parents. There is nothing to fear when we are close to our Shepherd. II. Sheep Must Be Careful And Watch Out For Wolves A. It frightens me when I see God's people playing around with things that belong to the wolves. 1. We had better be careful about running around with the wolves. 2. We had better be careful about acting like them. 3. We had better be careful about talking their language. III. What Happens When Wolves Catch A Sheep? A. Samson got caught. See him: bound, grinding, blind. We might call this the binding, grinding, blinding effects of sin. B. David got caught. He was at home, looking at a naked woman when he should have been on the battlefield with his men. 1. Dear Christian when you stay home on church night and watch pornographic shows you are almost sure to get caught by the wolves. You and I need to make a covenant with our eyes.      Psa. 101:3a I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes. C. Elimelech took his family and moved down into Moab, down into wolf country, and they got caught by the wolves. This is one of the sad stories of the Bible. 1. Elimelech died soon after they got settled in Moab. 2. The sons, Mahlon and Chilion, married in wolf country. They did not live long. 3. Ruth decides its time to go back to sheep country, back to her Shepherd. She goes back, but she leaves behind three graves. She goes back broken, homeless and helpless. She tells the people, when she reaches home, "call me Mira" which means bitterness. IV. What To Do If You Get Caught By The Wolves A. Call for the Good Shepherd. Confess and ask for His forgiveness. B. He has never left one of His sheep for the wolves to devour who truly repented and wanted to get right with Him.