What does your church look like? I'm not asking what kind of building you meet in or how you arrange your service. I'm talking about your church. What does your church look like? I don't mean what denomination you are or anything like that. What does your church look like?
Have I got you really thinking about it yet? I'm talking about the people the church is made up of, the people you meet with regularly on Sundays, the people you study God's Word with and praise Him with and live life with. What does your church look like? Are you a group of people who is devoted to living for God individually and collectively? Are you a church that meets together regularly and invests in each others' lives and in your communities? Are you a church whose main goal is to evangelize and make disciples?
Or does your church show up once a week and that's it?
I'm saying this as a warning. If your church building is only open on Sunday mornings, there's a problem. If you're only meeting together as believers four times a month and not associating with one another the rest of the time, you're not a church. You're just a bunch of consumers who show up, take it in, and leave, only to mark off the check box and do it all again next week.
A lot of people will do this and still claim to follow Christ, even if the rest of their week is empty of God. His sheep are constantly growing and working together with their flock, spending time with their shepherd daily and seeking to do what He desires. If you're not one of these sheep, what are you?
Are you an outside sheep that's pretending to be part of the herd? If so, the shepherd knows you're not truly part of the flock and won't let you stay forever. Oh, you might be able to stick around a while, but someday, you might be listed among the goats (Matthew 25). Intermingling with the sheep may last for a time, but pretending to be a sheep doesn't make you a sheep. You have to be all in for Jesus to be considered part of His flock, not just a bystander who hangs around with sheep.
Sometimes though, there's something else among the sheep too: wolves. They too pretend to be sheep, acting like they belong to the flock, only seeking to do harm. They're not merely pretending to do the part and then going on their merry way. They're pulling others away from the shepherd (often intentionally though I've met some wolves who will deny that's their goal until the cows come home... er, sheep, there's no cows in this analogy). These are tricksters. Sneaky, deceptive "Christians" who claim to be among the sheep while living in opposition to the shepherd's plan. They try leading sheep astray into thornbushes, pits, and far away places so the sheep aren't close to the shepherd anymore. Then, when the sheep are led astray, they attack and convince them that the shepherd won't love them or won't save them because they're too far gone. They lie, cheat, and manipulate to get their way and claim to do so in the name of God. They may even still pretend to be sheep while they're at it!
I hope you didn't get too lost in this analogy. Jesus used lots of parables to get the point across, and they compare wonderfully with the kinds of lives we see in churches, even today.
Yes, there are the sheep. I'd like to believe every church has them (though I acknowledge there are cults who claim to be churches that do not). The sheep are the ones who take Jesus seriously. Their every day is devoted to Him, their Shepherd. They regularly (more than just Sunday mornings) meet with other sheep and talk about God's Word and serve God and others often. The sheep can often be spotted by their actions, like how involved they are in ministry, how they treat other people, their attitude (like being kind, grateful, and loving) and how often they bring the Lord into conversation. These aren't the only signs, but they're some of them.
Then there's the goats. Technically, the sheep and goats are the only two categories God will separate us into on judgment day. The goats are the ones who don't actually follow God. Oh, they may show up every Sunday with offering in hand, sing their praise, listen diligently to the lesson, and even act "godly" through not cussing or avoiding all ungodly influences. However, they're not living like Jesus. Maybe they aren't loving to those they disagree with, secretly cheat on their significant other, discriminate against a certain people group, manipulate those around them, complain about... everything, or a number of other things that don't reflect our Lord and Savior. You may not even realize they aren't among the sheep, but God knows their hearts and will reveal their unfaithfulness in time if they don't repent.
Finally, there's the wolves (yes, technically it's still goats in Matthew 25, just bear with me). They teach lies as though it's biblical (*cough cough, Joel Osteen*). They convince others their actions are good and godly even if they're sinful. They may seem like a good example at first, but eventually their words and actions betray them and they are revealed as the wolves they really are. Depending on how much they've deceived you, you might not notice it for a very long time, but it's true. If you're around them long enough, you should eventually be able to tell the difference.
Watch what those in your church say and do. If they do the bare minimum and call it good every time, maybe they're not actually devoted to making a godly difference. If their teachings and actions don't align, they're probably not worth following. If they aren't all in for God, they're not for God.
Granted, everyone has their limits. Some people can only handle being part of one ministry at a time, and if they're all in with that ministry, fantastic! Others jump from one event to the next without taking a minute to spend with God. They might be a wolf pretending to be a sheep if they're so focused on getting everything right that they don't leave room for God or don't focus on Him. You can tell who's for God by how they live. If they live a life of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5), then ding ding ding we have a sheep! If they just pretend to be loving and then slander behind a person's back, or act kind to some people but not others, or don't exhibit patience and self-control when they get cut off (yes, the fruits of the Spirit apply to road rage too), then maybe they're not following the Shepherd. Now, if they're working on it and are still a work in progress, that's different. I'm talking about those who aren't trying, those who pretend to do good in the eyes of other sheep, but also deceive and teach lies and aren't truly all in for Jesus. We're told that a good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree bear good fruit (Luke 6). The wolves cannot bear the fruits of the Spirit, even if they pretend to for a time to deceive those around them. The sheep live out the fruits of the Spirit constantly and don't seek to pull people into false teachings or ungodly behaviors.
One thing I was told growing up is that if something isn't technically sin, then it's okay. While at face value that seems like fine logic, it led me to believe I could soak in movies and media that weren't godly or filling because it wasn't sinful to watch them, and it led me to think and act differently at times. Have you heard the phrase, "You are what you eat"? You become like what you watch. It's why the Bible is so clear about choosing to spend time with wise people and not foolish ones. We need to choose our friends closely, so we should choose what we watch closely too. I was pulled into this deception by a wolf among sheep, and it subtly turned me away from God. Not fully by any means, but slightly. Wolves will shift you slightly away from God, and then slightly more, and more until eventually you didn't even realize you drifted away, but now you realize you're not anywhere near your shepherd and don't know how to get back.
Watch out for the wolves!
And pray for them. Pray that those who were leading you or others astray will realize their sins and turn from them. Don't deceive and turn others away from God either, but be mindful of what you say and do in how you influence others. Live for God, and you will be counted among the sheep.
So I ask you one more time: what does your church look like? Is it full of sheep? Are there some goats around? Or are you surrounded by wolves?
If you know a wolf and realize you've been deceived by them, 1) give yourself grace and forgive yourself for stumbling, 2) confront them lovingly in their sins according to Matthew 18 (see v. 15-22 especially), and 3) feel free to reach out in the comments, on FB, or by email. I'll gladly have a conversation with you about your story and work with you on next steps.
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