12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.
-John 10:12, NIV
Sometimes being a good pastor means being a good shepherd and protecting the sheep from wolves.
I feel like the church has become lulled into the trap of believing wolves do not exist. Some behave as all who look like sheep are sheep when those same “sheep” are devouring the flock.
We have a discernment crisis in the pulpit.
True, not everyone who sins is a wolf. However, wolves are predators, and we need to start seeing that some people behave as predators in the pews (plus sometimes from the pulpit). These people must be stopped like any good shepherd would do.
Some cheaters are such predators. They have no intention of stopping, and some may even enjoy the harm that they inflict. These are the sort of people we need to keep away from the sheep.
