But the area that I want us to focus on here is in Matthew 10 and verse number 16 which says,
Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
The title for the sermon this morning is wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
This is an instruction that Christ gives us.
This is the commandment.
He wants us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
In fact, this verse has four animals.
I send you forth as sheep.
There's sheep there.
They're in the midst of wolves, wolves.
And then you've got your serpents and your doves.
And so many times in the Bible, God uses the illustration of animals
to teach us some great truths of the word.
And so what I want to sort of think about in this passage here is that we need wisdom.
Wise as serpents, but we also need to be harmless as doves.
And doves are just, you know, pigeons and doves are essentially the same family of bird.
I believe doves are just a little bit smaller than pigeons.
They're essentially the same kind of creature.
And the first thing I always notice there in that verse,
Christ says he sends us as sheep, sends us forth as sheep.
Now, when we talk about a church setting and we talk about the leader in a church,
it's usually at the pastor, obviously.
The pastor means shepherding.
The word pastor is Latin for shepherd.
And so the idea there is that the church congregation are the sheep.
We're all sheep.
We're all sheep of our good shepherd, great shepherd, the Lord Jesus Christ.
And so the Bible many times refers to believers as sheep.
And I want to keep your finger there in Matthew 10 and just come with me to John 21.
Come with me to come with me to John 21.
We understand this idea of sheep, right?
Sheep need a shepherd.
Sheep need to be guided to green pastures, a place to be nourished and fed.
And while you're turning to John 21,
let me read to you just a very famous Psalm, Psalm 23 verse one.
It says, the Lord is my shepherd.
I shall not want.
So here's our shepherd, meaning we're the sheep of the shepherd, right?
It says in verse number two, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside the steel waters.
So of course, our Lord God is the great shepherd, the good shepherd.
And you know, he's the shepherd that's laid down his life for the sheep.
But not only that, he sends us to green pastures.
You know, the reason a shepherd leads the sheep to green pastures is to eat, right?
To be fed and then beside the steel waters because we need to drink as well.
And so the Lord God is looking out for our best.
And we do need to feed on his word every single day.
We need to be nourished by his word.
And the Lord does that for us.
It says here in John 21 verse number 15, John 21, 15.
So when they had died, Jesus saith to Simon Peter,
Simon, son of Jonas, love us thou me more than these.
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee.
He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
And I believe this is Peter's call to be a pastor,
not just an apostle, which he was.
He was a day apostle, but now to feed the lambs.
And so we have 1 Peter, 2 Peter, we actually see the outcome of this.
And Peter refers to himself as a shepherd.
And obviously the need to feed the sheep.
But I want you to notice that the very first reference here is feed my lambs.
Lambs is a baby.
Baby sheep isn't a baby sheep.
And so the idea there is that not only should we be saved
and we have the Lord God as our shepherd,
but as sheep we start as lambs.
And we need to grow into adult sheep.
Of course, the Bible is full of teaching us to grow and to mature and all these things.
That's why continues verse number 16, he saith unto him again,
the second time, Simon son of Jonas, love us now me.
He saith unto him, Yea, Lord, and knowest that I love thee,
saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
You know, one of the pastor's responsibility is to be able to teach babes in Christ
and also to be able to teach the adults, like the mature believers.
And so the lesson that comes outside of the pulpit should be applicable to all.
You know, from young Christians to mature Christians.
And then verse number 17, he saith unto him the third time,
Simon son of Jonas, love us now me.
Because he said unto him the third time, love us now me.
And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things.
Thou knowest that I love thee, Jesus saith unto him, feed my sheep.
I believe the primary job of a pastor is to feed the sheep.
That's, you know, I mean, the pastor has many responsibilities in the Bible.
Read the apostle, sorry, the apostle of epistles,
like 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, the book of Titus.
There's lots of instructions that God gives the pastors,
but I strongly believe that the primary job is to feed the sheep, right?
To take the sheep to the green pastures to beside the still waters
that the sheep may be nourished.
And we understand all these concepts.
It's a very, what I'm teaching right now is a very basic truth.
Can you come with me to Hebrews 5?
Come with me to Hebrews 5.
So far, all of this is just kind of introduction.
Hebrews 5 and verse number 12.
Hebrews 5 verse number 12.
And so, you know, when I think about being fed,
well, what are your thoughts about being fed?
You say, well, I'm a believer.
I'm saved.
I need to be fed.
Christ told Peter, feed the lambs, feed my sheep.
And so we need to grow as well.
And, you know, I truly believe the, I suppose the primary place,
and especially when you're a new believer,
to be fed is the church, the house of the Lord.
That's where you ought to be fed.
Because if you're a new believer, tackling the Bible is a tough ask, right?
Like a lamb, you know, the lamb's not going to be able to eat,
you know, the green pastures immediately.
Needs a mother to feed the lamb.
It needs mother's milk.
You know, when you're newly saved,
you need to get yourself plugged into a good church
because you need others to feed you and guide you
and direct you in life.
But then you don't want church to be the only place that you're fed.
I mean, church is wonderful.
I tell you why church is really wonderful.
Why it's such a good institution that God's ordained
is because not only do we come to church to be fed,
but then once we're fed, what do we should do?
We should exercise, right?
It's like, you know, I'm probably eating too much
and I need to exercise physically more.
But you know, when you're fed spiritual truths,
we ought to take that truth and to use it, to utilize it.
And so church allows us to be amongst other believers,
amongst brethren with needs and allows us to serve one another, right?
We want to take what we've eaten, digest it.
And now what do I do?
I've got a full belly.
Well, I've got a church full of brethren.
Let me go and serve my brethren with what I've learned and what I've gathered.
So that's why church is so important.
It's not just a sermon and a teaching and being fed.
It's, well, now what do I do with what I've been fed?
How do I serve and love the brethren that God has given me?
The other best way to feed yourself is, or to be fed is to, you know,
once you mature it and you kind of grasp the fundamental truths of God's word,
you kind of get what, you know, what God is, his judgments are,
what is right and wrong, you go to God's word yourself.
And you ought to feed yourself, just like we ought to eat something every single day.
We need to eat something in order for us to be productive.
Well, you need to learn to feed yourself because church is only on a Sundays
and a midweek service and here and there.
But for you to really be nourished, you need to feed yourselves.
And so eventually the lamb grows and doesn't need mum's milk,
doesn't need to be constantly fed by someone else.
The lamb is able to go itself and grow and eat of that grass,
those green pastures and the Bible for you is your green pasture, by the way.
You go and you nourish yourself in God's word.
And the reason why that is so crucial as well is not just for your daily bread,
but also because when you open God's word, you are now just, it's just you and God.
It's just you and the Holy Spirit of God and his word.
All right.
And it's your fellowship, it's your one-on-one time with God,
where you pick up his word and say, Lord, show me great truths.
I don't have pastor Kevin right now.
You know, I'm not going to jump online to hear some sermon.
It's just you and me, God, can you show me some wonderful truths in your word?
And that's really wonderful.
It's just you and God, it's your fellowship, it's your walk.
Okay.
You get to know God even more one-on-one.
And then you've got, you know, third way, maybe online preaching.
I'm not against online preaching.
Sometimes people say to me, pastor, have you heard the latest sermon?
No, I haven't.
I just hear the truth.
But I look at online preaching like supplements.
Okay.
So, you know, sometimes we need to take our vitamins.
Like you might say, well, I've eaten at my dinner, but you know, it's, it's, uh, you know,
we need, I need some additional minerals.
I've gone and got myself checked out and, and my blood tests show that I'm lacking vitamin C.
I'm lacking iron.
I'm lacking whatever it is, right?
I need further supplements and yeah, go online, go online and find some topic you're interested
in, some pastor you enjoy listening to, but let that be your supplements.
Don't make that your, your daily bread.
Don't make that your, your main way that you consume God's word because you're removing
yourself out of the environment where you can serve the brethren.
You're, you're removing yourself from, uh, you know, just that alone time with you and God.
And again, online's wonderful.
It's fine.
I'm not saying it's wrong, but use it more like supplements to your daily life.
Okay.
And so we ought to grow.
We ought to grow and mature.
And it says here in Hebrews 5 12, for when, for the time you ought to be teachers, you have need
that won't teach you again, which be the first principles of the oracles of God.
And I become such as have need of milk and not of strong meat.
This is like a sheep that should be eating the green pastas by now, right?
You've been in church, you've been saved, you've had the Bible long enough.
You ought to be showing other people how they can be nourished.
But instead you need to go back and be fed by mom again.
You need, you need, you're back.
You're still a lamb.
You're still a baby in Christ.
And you need the, since there's nothing wrong with milk in of itself.
But the idea is that man, at some point you need to get off the milk and start working on the meat.
So things that are a little bit deeper in God's word as you continue to grow.
And verse number 13 says for everyone that use of milk is unskillful
in the word of righteousness for he is a babe, but strong meat belong to them that are of full age.
That's like adulthood, even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercise to discern both good and evil.
I learned two things in this passage.
I learned number one, that if you've been saved for some time and you're still in the milk, man,
you better hurry up and grow up.
One thing I definitely learned, but the other thing I learned here
is that meats are for those of full age.
And sometimes my biggest concern with online preaching
is that you've got a newly saved person and they're consuming all the meats
like on day one of their salvation.
And so they fuel themselves with knowledge, but they don't have the service.
They don't have the charity.
They don't have all the other great qualities that God teaches us.
A lot of information up here and a desire to use that information,
but it often comes across as attacks and criticisms on other people,
other believers or other churches, because they're not at the standard
you think other people ought to be.
And so knowledge is wonderful.
It's useful.
And that's what I want to talk about today because, you know, the Lord God says
He sends us as sheep, right?
Sheep in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise.
We need wisdom.
And in order for us to have wisdom, we need knowledge.
We need knowledge and knowledge is fine.
And we need knowledge.
But if you have knowledge and you don't have the service and the love
and the charity, man, you're going to be very prideful, very prideful.
And you're going to be criticizing everybody else.
You're going to be pointing your fingers at everybody else.
And you're not realizing all the problems
and issues that you have to deal with your own life.
You know, it's kind of like you got two sheep, right?
And you got one sheep and it's just there constantly green pastures eating.
Ah, eating, eating, eating with sheep eats, right?
Gets really fat, you know, the sheep.
And that fat sheep looks at the little sheep, the lean sheep and goes,
well, look how skinny, look how lean you are.
And the other sheep's like, well, I know you're well fed and you know more than I do.
But look how fat you are.
Like you're doing nothing with information you've been given.
And you think you're so good because you're so fat.
But really, you know, you're just full of pride.
Because that's what knowledge does.
Knowledge puffs up, which is why we need charity to go with it.
Yeah, that's not so I'm not talking about charity,
but you understand the concept.
That's why church is so important.
It's because we have knowledge, but then we can have the charity.
Oh, brother, you're suffering, brother, you have a need.
I pray for your brother.
What can I do?
How can I serve?
Right, you know, pastor, there's a piece of rubbish on the floor.
Pick it up, serve.
Charity, love.
Don't be full of pride.
Right, that's why church is so important.
And your one-on-one time feeding with God is important.
Because you're, you know, you're going to the great shepherd
and saying, Lord, give me wisdom.
You're going to him who is love.
God is love.
You're learning directly from him.
And so, again, I'm not against online preaching.
I think it's wonderful.
I think there's a lot of great truths to be learned there.
I think, you know, some churches just are lacking nutrients
and you need a lot of supplements, right?
To combat the lack of nutrition that you get provided from a lot of churches.
But I want to show you that we need to grow.
We need to mature.
And even as we grow and mature, Christ still calls us sheep.
He says, no, now is your sheep.
Now I'm going to send you out in the midst of wolves.
Whoa, hold on.
If you're sending me out to wolves, they're going to look at me as a sheep
and they want to destroy me.
They want to consume me.
Yes, that's the reality of the Christian life is you continue to mature and grow.
You will start being attacked by people simply because you're a sheep.
That's all.
You know, I can't relate to it.
I don't understand why people want to destroy Christians.
Like, I don't really get it.
I don't really understand.
I don't really understand why brethren want to tear down other brethren in general.
I don't get it.
Okay.
You might be fatter than the other person.
You might know more than the other person, but that other person that is very lean
might be doing more for the kingdom of God than what you are.
You know?
And so when someone, you know, and you know, when someone says, oh, this person has great
wisdom or great knowledge and they know a lot about, it doesn't mean much to me.
I'd rather, and I've said this to a lot of people, I'd rather you know one thing in the
Bible and do that one thing than know all the Bible and do nothing in the Bible.
All right.
And this is why, you know, we have teachers like, you know, be not hearers of the word
only, but doers of the word, things like that.
But again, we want to understand that, man, if we're going to be sheep in the midst of
wolves, we do need wisdom.
To be able to conduct ourselves in society, you know, amongst God haters.
We need to be, you know, we can't just run away and find a compound of Christians and
we just protect ourselves here in our sheep pen.
No, God expects us to be out in the world, you know, interacting with people, living
our daily lives.
And as we go about doing that, you're going to come across wolves from time to time.
And so you need wisdom to go with your sheepness.
Okay.
If I can use that term.
So again, keep a finger there in Matthew 10.
Matthew 10 and come with me to Proverbs chapter four.
Proverbs chapter four, please wisdom.
And we know that the book of Proverbs is known as the book of wisdom.
So let's turn there.
Let's get some thoughts here in Proverbs chapter four and verse number five.
Proverbs chapter four.
Proverbs chapter four and verse number five.
It says, get wisdom.
Oh man.
That's a command.
Get wisdom.
Get understanding.
Forget it not.
So remind yourself, right?
We can forget wisdom.
If wisdom preserves us and we're sheep in the midst of wolves, what's going to preserve
us from the wolves?
Wisdom, right?
Wisdom.
That's why I continue verse number seven.
Wisdom is the principle thing.
Therefore, get wisdom.
And we've all liked getting, get understanding.
Get understanding.
All right.
So we want to be sheep, but we also want to be wise as serpents without neglecting the
fact that we're sheep at the same time.
Wise as serpents.
And we need to get wisdom, get understanding.
This will preserve our lives.
This will preserve our testimony, our reputation, our good report that we ought to have.
In society.
Come with me to chapter one, Proverbs chapter one, verse number one.
Proverbs chapter one and verse number one.
It says, the Proverbs of Solomon, the son of David, king of Israel, to know wisdom and
instruction, to perceive the words of understanding.
If you read through the book of Proverbs, you're going to find across these terms quite
often.
Wisdom, instruction, understanding.
All right.
And so I want to, or even instruction, I want to break down these words for you
very quickly.
I know, look, I think many times in the Bible, these words are kind of just interchangeable,
but they do carry their own definitions.
Okay.
They do play a different part in our, in understanding God's word or, you know, receiving
God's word.
And so if we want to feed, be fed like sheep and we want to preserve our lives and we need
the wisdom, we also, of course, to be wise, we need to have knowledge.
We need to have understanding.
We need to be able to receive teaching.
And so just some very basic definitions.
If you go online and, or any online dictionary, it's going to give you something similar.
But instruction, what is instruction?
Instruction is the act of teaching.
So right now I'm teaching, right?
I'm preaching, I'm teaching, and hopefully you're receiving instruction at this point
in time.
Okay.
That hopefully, hopefully, right?
But then not only should I be teaching, the next thing is understanding, right?
I want you to understand what I'm teaching, right?
Like the worst thing is to be able to come to church and the pastor speaks over your
head.
So boring.
You don't know what he talked about.
Did you learn anything?
No, I have no idea.
All right.
But understanding is the mental process, comprehending the teaching.
Okay.
So it's your mind at work, comprehending, understanding.
That's what understanding is, right?
Understanding the teaching.
All right.
Now, like for example, a little child might receive instruction from the parents, you
know, uh, don't, don't play with the kettle, but they may not understand why that's the
case at this point in time.
Right.
But it's good.
Like if you just have instruction from God, you may not even understand it at this point
in time.
And you don't just act on faith and say, well, God, you know better than I do.
I'll just do what you told me to do.
I'll just be like a little child, a lamb, and I'll just be instructed, though may not
have full understanding just yet.
But in order for you to get wise, you do need to understand, you know, the scriptures.
You need to understand why God says what he says.
And then as you understand, the next thing is, is knowledge.
What is, what is knowledge?
Knowledge is the acquisition of the teaching.
Okay.
Based on facts, truths, and principles.
Okay.
Not have you, not only have you understood the teaching, now you have the knowledge.
You, you, you get it, right?
It's all, it's all plugged in now.
And you know, with facts and, and truths and principles, it all, yep, that's the truth.
That makes sense.
That's the way I've got that knowledge.
All right, good.
You got knowledge.
And a lot of people get to this point where they have the knowledge.
But remember Christ said he wants to be wise as serpents.
And sometimes people misunderstand, they confuse knowledge with wisdom.
And I'll give you a scenario.
I remember, you know, when I was going to high school, there were some kids that had
a lot of knowledge.
Like, you know, they could learn so easily, so quickly.
They aced their tests.
They were very academic.
They had all the knowledge.
But you pick them up and put them in society, they can't function.
It's like they just don't know how to live life.
Like they have no idea.
It's like they can't read people.
They don't know how to handle themselves in situation.
They got a lot of knowledge, but we would often say that they're lacking street smarts.
Right?
And then you can have other people that don't have knowledge.
They're not very good academically.
Right?
They don't have the book smarts.
But then in the real world, they're like successful.
Right?
And so what is wisdom?
Well wisdom is, so you got knowledge.
Okay, you've got the understanding, the knowledge now is all here.
Wisdom is the correct judgment to act on the acquired knowledge.
Okay?
The correct judgment to act on the acquired knowledge.
In other words, putting the teaching into practice.
All right, I know.
All right, well do it.
Like I said, James 1 22, but be doers of the word and not hearers only.
Deceiving your own selves.
The Bible says you can be full of knowledge.
I know so much about the Bible.
I know a lot of doctrines.
I know more than the average pastor out there.
Okay, but if you're not doing it, if you're not wise, you're deceiving yourself.
You think you know, but you don't know.
Okay, and quite often, this is the scenario I find myself in.
You know, like, I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way.
But like as a pastor, I kind of thought I'm going to be telling people, read your Bibles.
And of course, I teach that.
And listen to preaching.
Of course, that's good and proper.
But sometimes, more often than not, I'm telling people, slow down, buddy.
You're getting overweight on spiritual food.
All right, you know, you're fat, you're obese.
Go and do what you've learned.
Slow down.
Okay, be wise.
Take the knowledge and stop eating.
Just stop eating.
All right, stop consuming teaching.
Stop understanding.
You got the knowledge, good.
Now take that knowledge and do it.
You know, sometimes I often say in sermons, that if it's just too much,
like I preach for an hour or whatever.
Just take one thing in the sermon.
Just one thought and say, I'll do that one thing.
That's better than like, oh, now I know the whole sermon.
I'm on the same page, pastor and everything here.
But you don't do it then.
Just take the one thing that you can do and do it.
All right, there's no need to be out there just criticizing.
Look how smart I am.
Look how much knowledge I have.
Where's your wisdom though?
How are you acting on the judgment, you know,
of the knowledge that you've acquired?
Knowledge is good.
That's how you get wise.
But you don't stop at knowledge.
You got to do it now.
Right?
Like, it's something like, I find it strange.
I'm telling people, slow down.
Sincere milk.
Consume the milk.
Digest the milk.
Grow.
Growth takes time.
Ah, but I just sat there for, you know, six months straight listening to sermons.
I've got it.
I know it all now.
It's like, yeah, but you're not doing it.
Oh, but this past is just, you know, still pre-trib.
All right, but how's your marriage?
Oh, but this church over there.
All right, but are you raising your children in the merchant admission of the Lord?
Oh, these Christians over there.
Okay, but are you serving your employer and working for him like you're working for Christ Jesus?
You know, it's so easy to look at everyone else that's lean, not as fat as you are, right?
But what are you, are you doing it though?
Because life is more than just consume, eat.
Life is more than that, right?
Life, God's put you in Sunshine Coast in 2024.
You've got families, you know, you've got spouses, you've got children,
you know, honor your mother and father, right?
Are you honoring mother and father or just criticizing
because they're not at the level you are in the Bible?
You know, are you just complaining about your boss or are you serving him like you're serving Christ?
Are you doing it or you just know more than the other person?
So that must mean you're the better Christian.
Like life is much more wise as serpents.
Okay, you're sheep, good, but man, there are wolves out there
and the way to overcome the wolves is by being wise.
And by how do I be wise?
You act on the knowledge with correct judgments
and your life is more than just consumption.
You need to get out there and do what you've heard.
Change your own life.
How's your walk?
How's your holy living?
Are you overcoming sins?
Are you overcoming addictions in your life?
You know, are you renewing your mind?
Are you removing yourself from the corruption of the world bit by bit and be more holy?
Are you praying to the Lord?
Are you taking the requests of the church members and taking them to the Lord?
Are you opening your Bible?
You know, you're taking your wife out on a date or whatever it is.
Are you doing the things that enrich your life?
Because if you're not, I'll just tell you now, you're not wise.
You may know a lot, but you're not wise.
So it's the book of wisdom, the book of Proverbs.
You know, but it must be done.
We must act upon the things.
And so how do we act upon it?
Okay.
Well, Christ says, this is how you do it.
All right.
You get the knowledge, you get the wisdom.
Now I'm wise as serpents, sending you out as sheep amongst wolves.
And you better, you got to find a way to preserve yourself because there's a lot of attacks.
There's a lot of enemies out there.
There's people that hate the word of God, that hate God.
You know what?
Sometimes you're just going to be attacked by, you know, fat brother so-and-so who's consumed
a lot of knowledge, but themselves are not doing anything.
They're going to criticize you and try to tear you down.
Cause that's just the sinful nature of man.
For some reason, men just hate it when you're doing righteous acts.
I can't explain it really.
Okay.
I can't really understand it.
I think one of the benefits of just being saved at four years old, growing up in Christian
home, I just love people serving God.
I love that.
I don't think it's a bad thing.
I think that's a very honorable thing.
Even if they're not doing as great of a job as I think they should be, it doesn't matter.
What about me?
Am I doing the job that I should be?
But wise as serpents.
Come back with me to Matthew 10, Matthew 10 and verse 16, Matthew 10 and verse 16.
Matthew 10, 16, behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves.
Be therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
This is why, but beware of men.
For they will deliver you up to the councils and they will scourge you in the synagogues.
And you shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against
them and the Gentiles.
And when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you shall speak, for it shall
be given you in the same hour what you shall speak.
For it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your father, which speaketh in you.
So we learned something else that in order for us to be wise as serpents and sheep amongst
wolves, we must be walking in the spirit, the spirit of the father that speaks in you,
right?
We need to be in the new man, not in the old man.
That is, of course, very wise, okay, to be walking in the new man.
But wise as serpents, why?
Because the Bible says here there are people that will persecute you.
There'll be people that hate you, all right?
And, of course, persecution, you know, even though we're not being thrown in prisons
right now and brought before kings to answer for what we say, but for some generations
of believers, that's the scenario they're going to see.
If we live out and see the great tribulation to come, this will be the scenario that plays
out, okay?
But there are different forms of persecution that, you know, that we come across.
We're constantly interacting with people in this world.
And I don't always know if a friend might be a foe, I have no idea.
All right?
But I know something that I need to be wise.
I need to be wise as serpents.
You know, when we think about a serpent, we often think about a predatory animal.
That's generally what they're known for.
Very sneaky, very cunning creatures out there consuming their prey.
Their prey often has no chance at all when they come in face to face with a serpent.
But I had to look at what a serpent does in order for them to, how they feed themselves,
how they take care of themselves.
Some serpents use ambush, all right?
They just let their prey come very close to them and then they strike, all right?
They're not necessarily out chasing, they're just mindful, they're observant of what's
happening, all right?
They let the prey, I've done a sermon like this called Enough Rope to Hang Themselves.
And it's just let them do it.
Let the prey come here and destroy themselves, okay?
But the point is here is that the serpent's very wise, okay?
This serpent's just waiting.
He's not out on the attack necessarily at this point in time.
He's not doing the work.
The prey destroy itself once it comes within striking range.
Then there are other serpents that are very active.
They are active hunters, okay?
And they'll use their keen sense of smell and they'll use their forked tongue to be
able to determine the direction of the smell, okay?
That's pretty cool.
The forked tongue, oh, it's coming that way.
There's prey that way and so they start slithering that way.
And so they're using the instincts, they're using the strengths that God has given that
creature to be able to feed itself.
Some snakes have heat sensing abilities where they can, I don't know how that works, but
they can detect warm-blooded animals, you know, from a certain distance.
So instead of it being smell, it's more the heat, the heat signature that leads them to
go a certain way where they can find their prey.
But again, the point of this, even though serpents may use different techniques, the
point is that they use their strengths, they use their God-given instinct to take care
of their needs, okay?
And so as we feed ourselves, ah, sheep, right, consume ourselves, God's given us knowledge,
right?
He's helping us with our understanding in order to act upon it, right?
There's no point of a snake having a forked tongue if it's not going to use it to detect
where the smell is coming from, right?
There's no point of the snake using its heat-detecting abilities if it's not going to use
it to go out and hunt for prey or something like that, right?
God gives us this knowledge and this wisdom and this understanding so we can use it.
You know, if there's a snake, you know, that's not using what God's given us, it's a stupid
snake.
It's a foolish snake.
Why is it not using its strengths to its advantages?
Our advantage is the word of God.
Our advantage is the knowledge that God's given us.
Then with wisdom, we go out and we utilize and act upon the knowledge that God's given
us.
You see, you can have it all knowledge, but if you're not wise, if you're not acting
upon it, what's the opposite of wisdom?
It's foolishness.
You know a lot, but you're still foolish because you're not acting upon what God has
given you, the wisdom that comes from his word.
So not are we just to be wise as serpents, but we're to also be harmless as doves.
So even though the snake uses these abilities that God's given it,
we know that it's going to dig its fangs into it at some point or something like that,
right?
And destroy the creature.
God says, well, hold on, hold on.
No, no, but harmless as doves.
Oh, wow.
What a change, you know?
So some snakes, you know, when they strike, some snakes suffocate, right?
They suffocate the creature until they can't breathe any longer and it dies.
It constricts it that way.
Some snakes have venom, right?
So they'll strike the prey and weaken and immobilize the prey until it can be consumed,
all right?
That's what a snake does.
And you'd think, well, with the wisdom and knowledge that the snake has, of course,
that would be the natural outcome to consume and destroy the prey.
But God stops us before that destroying of the prey.
He says not harmless.
Wisdom, wise, but harmless as doves.
So, you know, what this creates is almost, almost like a seemingly
contradictive way of living our lives.
Wisdom, the ability to destroy, the ability to consume, but still harmless and actually
not causing destruction with the wisdom that God has given us.
That's a mature believer.
That's a sheep that's able to go out amongst wolves and preserve its life, okay?
I want you to think about that because we think, some people think, well, if God's
giving you the ability of a snake, then you ought to be able to destroy like a snake.
That's not wise.
And that's not the commandment that God's given us, okay?
I'm not interested in reaping apart your entire life with the knowledge that is found
in God's word.
I have no desire to just tear down the brethren and, because that's what some pastors do.
All right, I want to tear down your flesh, maybe, but I'm not even trying to.
I let the word of God do it.
If it works in your life, it works in your life, the Lord knows what you need to hear
tonight, sorry, this morning.
But really my goal is to edify, to build you up, okay?
To help you mature, to help you grow.
And sometimes God's word does that.
It rips your face, but it's not to destroy you.
It's to give you the knowledge to build you up, to become more for the Lord than you were
before.
But we also don't want to be just harmless as doves and foolish like doves.
I feel like a lot of churches are like that.
Where you just, people don't know anything.
It's not that they're just lacking wisdom.
They don't even have knowledge.
They've got positions.
Oh, this is the right thing.
All right, maybe it is right.
Can you show me the Bible?
Oh, watch this documentary.
Oh, watch this sermon.
Oh, somewhere in the Bible, it's just the Bible.
Oh, pre-tribulation rapture, where is that in the Bible?
Oh, it's just, you know, the general thought out there.
It's like, okay, you're harmless as doves, but you're also foolish like a dove.
You're not wise like a serpent, you'll be destroyed.
If you get out there and you're confronted with opposing views and you've got to stand
up for God's word and for doctrine and truth, you can't do it.
You've not nourished yourself and you've not acted upon it.
So you've learned some great truths, but you're not gone to God's word and learnt
and cemented it in your life.
There are churches like that.
And I must admit, I was like that at one point in my life too.
I go to church, I know what's right and wrong.
But if you ask me, heaven, show me where it's right.
Show me where the Bible's, you know, pastor said so.
Ask him, probably at some point in my life.
So what does a dove do?
All right, do doves have a defense mechanism against predators, against wolves?
What does it do?
Well, really it's primary defense mechanism is that it can fly.
That it can fly away.
And it can sense danger.
When it senses danger, gone.
All right, that's the ability of the dove.
That's it.
The dove can't attack the wolf.
The dove can't attack the snake.
It's got to fly away.
That's how it protects.
That's how it's harmless.
Like, you know, you walk up to a bird, the average bird, it's going to leave you.
Unless it's a magpie or one of these plovers protecting its nest or something like that.
Most birds are fearful of man like that, right?
And they just disappear.
So that's what doves do.
Doves are known for being peaceful animals.
They're often representative as peace, you know, symbolism of peace throughout the world,
the dove is.
Now, if you can, come with me to Hebrews 7.
Hebrews 7 verse number 26.
Harmless as doves.
Well, let's just notice what it says here in Hebrews 7 about Jesus Christ.
In verse number 26, Hebrews 7 verse number 26.
Hebrews 7 verse number 26.
It says here, for such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled,
separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.
It's talking about Jesus Christ.
What is he?
Harmless.
That makes sense.
Because the Bible is always about being Christ-like.
Right?
Yeah, it's about salvation.
You know, whether we're saved, what's the goal?
The goal is to be Christ-like.
And if Christ says, I want you to be harmless as doves,
and we know our eyes are to be upon him, well, it makes sense for him to be harmless.
Christ is setting the example which we are to follow.
Can you come with me to, sorry, Philippians, Philippians chapter 2, Philippians chapter 2.
Philippians chapter 2, please.
So we learned that Christ is harmless.
And so we're going to look at some examples of Christ,
how he deals with difficult situations that he finds himself in.
But before we do that, have a look at Philippians 2, Philippians 2, verse number 14.
What I'm trying to say to you Brethren is that being harmless,
is being wise.
If we're to be as wise as serpents and harmless as doves,
we are following the instructions that the Lord God has commanded us to live.
There is great wisdom to utilize the knowledge that God has given us.
There's also great wisdom to utilize the ability to be at peace.
Not to be harmful to other people.
And the Bible says here in Philippians 2, 14,
do all things without murmurings and disputings.
What's murmurings?
That complaint, whatever.
It's too hot today pastor in the church building.
You're sweating.
Yeah, I wish we had a better location.
I kind of do wish we had a better location.
I'm not going to whine about it.
I'm going to be content with what God has given me.
Not just murmurings, we have disputings.
Do all things about murmurings and disputings.
Fighting, arguing, you know, just some stupid thing.
Just why are we arguing?
Like who cares?
Is that important?
Is it really that important?
Disputings, look at this.
This is why it doesn't mean that you may be blameless and harmless.
Man, if you and I are disputing, we're constantly arguing conflict with one another.
There's a problem.
We're not following the Lord's commands.
Oh, I've got so much knowledge and I know more than you do.
I know better than you do.
All right, it might be wise of serpents, but you're not being harmless.
I mean, think about what God's asking you to do.
How he's asking us to behave.
He doesn't want us to be stupid or clueless like a pigeon.
It wants to be very cunning, very wise.
Utilize what God's given us like a serpent.
But then when you're tempted to strike.
I'm the bird, I'm the harmless dove.
It says here, verse 15,
They may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke,
in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
holding forth the word of life that I may rejoice in the day of Christ,
that I have not run in vain, neither lay but in vain.
And so we are in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation.
We're in the midst of wolves, right?
We're sheep gathered, you know, surrounded by wolves seeking to hurt us.
And the Lord God says, be blameless, be harmless.
Don't murmur, don't get into disputes with one another.
Be harmless, harmless as doves.
So you can see that, you know, this is something that we are definitely instructed to be.
Again, it seems contradictive, all right?
Like it may look like as an individual, you're not being genuine,
or you're lacking integrity.
Say, well, if you got the wisdom of serpent, then strike as a serpent.
Oh, you're meant to be harmless as doves, then just be clueless like doves then.
No, no, many things in the Bible is about striking the right balance.
Sometimes it is time to be a serpent.
Sometimes it's time to be a dove.
It's always time to be a sheep and to understand that people are seeking to hurt you and destroy
you.
These things seem seemingly contradictive, right?
There are times that, you know, I know the situation.
I won't go into all details today, but, you know, it's like, pastor, why don't you do
anything about it?
Why do you have a fear to act?
No, I don't have a fear to act.
I'm trying to be wise as a serpent.
Is this going to destroy me, my family, my testimony?
Do I get involved in some issue out there?
Or do I be harmless?
Do I go on the attack?
Do I go and constrict?
Do I go and inject venom in a situation?
Or do I just fly away like a dove and leave it to its own demise, whatever the issues
are?
That's finding that right balance.
And that's what wisdom really is.
Making the right judgments at the right time for the right purposes.
You know, again, it may look like you're a fence sitter sometimes.
You know, then do this.
But that what you're asking me to do is serpent like.
I need to do and act dove like without losing the wisdom of a serpent.
You see, it can seem like a fence sitter.
It might seem like, you know, you're just not going all the way and, you know, where's
the unfiltered, you know, person that you are?
I'm not trying to be the unfiltered person because all is going to come out is the flesh.
I need to filter it with the new man, the Holy Spirit of God, and the commandments
and instructions and the knowledge and the wisdom that God's given me according to his
word.
I can't just act out of raw desire because I know something.
Therefore, I must do that same thing.
But that's you thinking that to know like to be wise like a serpent means you also need
to strike as a serpent.
So I want to give you some examples of this in the Bible.
Can you come with me to Matthew chapter 12, please?
Matthew chapter 12.
It's the balance, right?
The balance, serpent, dove.
It's find that right balance and that's where wisdom comes in.
If you don't have the wisdom, you don't know what to do.
You don't know how to act.
You're going to be like a dove all the time.
Kind of completely ineffective.
Or you can be a serpent all the time and just completely destructive.
Okay, now I know like it seems contradictive.
It may even sound a little bit like false prophets, because the Bible says in Matthew
715, beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they
are ravening wolves.
So the false prophets do it.
They look like wolves on the outside.
No, sorry.
They look like sheep on the outside, but really they're wolves on the inside.
No, no, but you don't understand.
They're wolves on the inside because they seek to destroy.
As God's people, we are not seeking to destroy others.
We're seeking to save others, aren't we not?
Not destroy.
The false prophet is seeking to destroy.
The false prophet is seeking to consume.
All right.
The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11, 14, and no marvel for Satan himself is transformed
into an angel of light.
The devil can appear like an angel of light.
But really he's the devil.
He's out to destroy.
He's out to cast people into hell forever.
You know, the devil's trying to blind the hearts and the minds of the people of understanding
the gospel.
That's destructive.
We're trying to be constructive.
All right.
We're trying to build and edify.
So it's the opposite approach from the enemy.
But again, it can seem a little contradictive.
Serpent and dove at the same time.
How do I do it?
You need wisdom.
Now, Matthew 12, verse 14.
So like I said, one of its main defensive, the main defensive mechanism of a dove is
to flee, to fly.
Matthew 12, verse 14.
Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against him, against Jesus that is.
How they might destroy him.
So what does Jesus do?
So Jesus, verse 15.
But when Jesus knew it, he went straight to the Pharisees and started disputing one with
another.
This is Jesus.
God, the creator of you and I, the creator of all things.
Jesus can ask his father to send an angel and wipe them out, Lord.
But instead, he sets us the example.
Verse 15.
But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence, and great multitudes followed
him, and he healed them all, and charged them that they should not make him known.
Hey, don't tell the Pharisees where I am.
He's avoiding, he's been a dove, but he's been wise.
Because man, if I just go and confront the Pharisees all the time, they're going to try
to kill me early.
I'm here to save souls.
So I'm going to withdraw myself from a dangerous place using wisdom.
I'm going to be harmless.
And as I withdraw myself, guess what?
He's drawing great multitudes onto him.
Those that want to hear him are following him.
And this is verse 17.
That it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold, my
serpent, whom I have chosen, my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased.
I will put my spirit upon him, and he will show judgment to the Gentiles.
He shall not strive, nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.
What's that in context of?
He's refusing to argue and get biding with the Pharisees.
Instead of me just arguing with the Pharisees, you know, and making this my ministry.
He goes, I'll withdraw myself, I'll flee like a dove, I'll be harmless, and I'll be
able to teach multitudes over here.
That's wisdom.
He's wise, but he's harmless.
All right, and still accomplishes the great work that his father had for him.
Come with me to John chapter seven, John chapter seven, verse number one.
Like I told you, doves are part of the pigeon family, you know.
And the other defense mechanisms that pigeons at least have more than, like we think of
doves, we think of white birds, but doves can have different colors as well.
But the second defensive mechanism that say pigeons or that family of bird have is simply
the camouflage.
That many times they just blend into their environment and you don't even notice that
they're there, okay.
Camouflage.
Look at John chapter seven, verse number one.
After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for he would not walk in Jewry, that's Judea
and Jerusalem, because the Jews sought to kill him.
So he goes, all right, I'll just hang around Galilee.
Remember, there's Jerusalem, then Samaria, then Galilee, further up north.
Jesus goes, all right, they want to kill me down here, I'll just hang around Galilee up
north.
So he's using his dove-like qualities to avoid all the confrontations, all right.
But then what happens?
Let's continue, verse number two.
Now the Jews feast of Tabernacles was at hand.
His brethren therefore said unto him, depart thence and go into Judea, that thy disciples
also may see the works that thou doest, for there is no man that doeth anything in secret,
and he himself seeketh to be known openly, if thou do these things, show thyself to the
world, for neither did his brethren believe in him.
Okay, this sounds like his brethren are trying to help him in his ministry, but they're not.
They don't believe in him, okay.
They're saying, look, go show yourself, come down to the feast in Jerusalem.
No one does these things in secret.
What do they mean by that?
It's because Jesus is in Galilee.
He's not in Jerusalem.
He's not out there teaching publicly to everybody and arguing with the Pharisees and making
his voice known in the streets.
He's out there in Galilee instead, and his brethren are kind of mocking him.
Who does these things in secret?
Well, let's continue, verse number six.
Then Jesus said unto them, my time is not yet come, but your time is always ready.
The world cannot hate you, but me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof
are evil.
So Jesus knows the world hates him.
He knows he's in the midst of wolves, all right.
He says, go ye up unto this feast.
I go not up yet unto this feast, for my time is not yet full come.
When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
So his brothers, they go to Jerusalem for the feast.
He stays in Galilee.
But then verse number 10, but when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the
feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.
Then the Jews sought him at the feast and said, where is he?
Hamathlarch.
Jesus could have gone down in Jerusalem with his brethren and all his disciples and all
the fanfare, the multitudes following him.
It's obvious that he's on his way.
And the Jews would have been like, Jesus is coming.
Let's try to kill him.
Let's try to stop him.
Jesus goes, you know what?
I'm going to do it in secret.
You guys go.
And he goes his own way.
Just a lone man walking down to Jerusalem.
You know, if you didn't know what he looked like, he just, oh, there's just a Jew going
down to the feast.
Nobody knew.
And the Jews are like, where is he?
Where is this guy?
Where is Jesus?
Where's this multitude that are following him and learning from him?
Camouflage.
Sometimes he takes the flight.
Sometimes it takes the camouflage approach.
And if you look at the stories of Jesus Christ, you often find that he does one or two.
I think about the time when he's been about to be stoned and somehow he travels in the
midst of them and disappears.
And you know, Christ is harmless.
Like he's not ready to just embark on every controversy and every argument and every occasion.
Yeah, he does at times.
He does.
We know that he does.
But what I want to show you is that Christ is not seeking that.
He's not seeking to be destructive.
It's just that sometimes these Pharisees, they turn up to his ministry and then he's
got to preach against them.
Like the problems come to him.
He's not out there actively trying to find issues to criticize and to destroy and show
how much knowledge he has versus those that are lacking knowledge.
And Christ is the perfect example of how to act like a dove in dangerous situations.
We need the wisdom.
Okay, this can be dangerous.
This can be harmful.
But then how we respond to that, like doves.
Can you come with me to Proverbs chapter 24 please?
Proverbs 24.
Proverbs 24 verse 17.
Proverbs 24.
I want our church to be full of wise and harmless people.
The balance.
The right balance.
And I'm not saying there's a problem in our church.
I'm just saying this is what I want.
As a pastor, I'm supposed to feed the sheep.
So I want you to, I hope this is good teaching.
I hope you're understanding.
I hope you attain the knowledge.
And then I hope tomorrow you go and be wise and you do what you've learned this morning.
Want to be wise.
Sheep that are able to be out there in the midst of wolves and we come out on the other
side completely preserved because of the wisdom and the ability to be harmless in situations
that may have otherwise been very dangerous.
But sometimes within man, when we see a wolf, when we see an enemy, we want to see them
destroyed and they've done bad to us.
They've attacked, they've criticized, they've showed their teeth, it wasn't a sheep, it
was a wolf or whatever it is.
I just want to see them destroyed.
And I get the sense, I understand where that comes from.
I understand.
And I want to just point you here to Proverbs 24 because again, it's a book of wisdom.
Proverbs 24 verse 17.
It says, rejoice not when thine enemy falleth and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth.
That's very hard.
Oh man, if I have someone that just hates my guts and made my life hell and I see them
fall and stumble, I'll be like, ah, I knew that was coming.
I don't know.
I get it.
It's just a flash, right?
It's always there.
Flash, get out of there.
But then this is why, because then verse 18 says, lest the Lord see it and it displease
him and he turn away his wrath from him.
Wow.
You want your enemy to get the full brunt of God's wrath.
Okay.
Don't rejoice when your enemy falls.
Let God deal with it.
And this is why we don't need to strike like serpents.
Let God deal with it.
Leave with God.
You be harmless as doves.
Don't be stupid.
Be wise like serpents.
But you be harmless and let God do the striking.
Let God's wrath fall upon the wolves.
Let God's wrath fall upon your enemies.
Okay.
Now I know there are a lot of Psalms where, you know, the Psalmist is rejoicing when God
is taking down the enemies, but you'll notice a big difference.
He's not rejoicing at his enemies fall.
He's rejoicing at God's judgment.
There's a big difference between those two things.
Okay.
I've seen my enemies fall and I have to remind myself, thank you, Lord.
What a great God you are.
Thank you for passing the right judgments.
And I can rejoice in the Lord.
Not at my enemy falling, rejoicing at my Lord.
Okay.
For stepping in.
But if I went on the attack, serpent like, striking, it says here that no, God will
withhold his wrath.
All right.
This is the other teaching.
And you guys know this Romans 12, 19, dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather
give place unto wrath.
For it is written, vengeance is mine.
I will repay, saith the Lord.
That's another promise from the Lord.
He will repay.
When the wolves attack you, when your enemies mock you, when you're thrown into prison,
God says, I will repay it.
Do you believe that?
That God sees the harm that's come to you.
God's seen the hurt that's developed in your life because of your enemy.
God sees it.
God knows it.
All right, Lord, I'm going to be harmless as a dove and I'll let you deal with the vengeance.
It's the best place to be.
It's how you can be like a dove and let God deal with it.
Title of the sermon was wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
Wise as serpents, harmless as doves.
You know, we're all sheep, brethren.
We're all sheep and we're all growing at different rates.
And I want you to be able to understand two things from this morning.
Number one, the acquisition of knowledge is good.
But if you're not utilizing it, if you're not acting upon it, if your life is not changing
because of the knowledge that God has given you, you're not as wise as you think you are.
You're the wise guy.
You're not wise, you're a wise guy.
So be wise.
Act upon the information and teaching that God's given you in your life, in your thoughts,
in your hearts, in your actions, in your relationships, in your workplace,
mothers in the house, while you're cooking, every area of your life as you serve in church.
Use the wisdom that God's given you.
Don't be a, you know, a fat sheep.
I know it all and everyone else doesn't know as much as me.
It's prideful.
It's foolish.
It's stupid.
It's worthless.
What's the point?
For everyone be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.
Okay, let's pray.