Goats, Hirelings and Wolves

There is a very interesting statement Jesus makes in Luke chapter 8. It almost seems out of place in the midst of the parables He tells, but it definitely grabs our attention for the End Times we are facing:

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV)

As I look around, the Lord is shaking everything that can be shaken. The world is being shaken, the United States is being shaken, people are being shaken, and the Lord’s Church is being shaken. Why the Lord’s Church? Because there are too many hirelings, goats, and wolves that have infiltrated His Church. Read what Jesus says:

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.” (John 10:11‭-‬13 NKJV)

The difference between a hireling and a shepherd is their motivation for tending the sheep. The hireling does it for his own benefit and the shepherd does it for the benefit of the sheep. In contrast, the shepherd stands in when things get tough and does what he can to protect and care for the sheep, whereas the hireling flees when things get tough.

Simply put, too many pastors and televangelists have embraced their position as a job which pays their bills and allows them to get ahead in life, rather than a ministry entrusted to them by God which they are passionate about:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men. (Colossians 3:23 NKJV)

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9:24 NKJV)

It doesn’t stop with the pastors. Many of those in the Church are not really sheep, but are goats:

“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’ Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.'” (Matthew 25:31‭-‬34‭, ‬41 NKJV)

Some are even wolves:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” (Matthew 7:15 NKJV)

No matter who you are and what your position in the Church is, if you claim to be a Christian or Pastor, look in the mirror. Do you see a passionate follower of the LORD Jesus Christ, or do you see a hireling, a goat, or even a wolf? Don’t fool yourself because you can’t fool God.

Jesus tried to be diplomatic at times, but when that was not enough, He had to resort to bluntness. Here is an example:

After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of His death, but they thought that He meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” (John 11:11‭-‬15 ESV)

Let’s move on to the point I want to make where Jesus is straight out blunt about Judas:

The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had not been born.” Then Judas, who was betraying Him, answered and said, “Rabbi, is it I?” He said to him, “You have said it.” (Matthew 26:24‭-‬25 NKJV)

Jesus did not beat around the bush. It would of been better for Judas not to have been born at all because he will not see Heaven. I am sure this deeply hurt Jesus very much because He desires all to accept salvation, especially someone He had close fellowship with who ended up going the way of the devil (Luke 22:3):

First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1‭, ‬3‭-‬4 ESV)

Many people who claim to be Christians, but are not living right, love to proclaim that no one knows for sure about Judas’ destiny. They adopt Judas as a perverted example because of the way they are living their own sinful lives. For they think if no one knows for sure about Judas’ destiny, as they claim, they can downplay the fact that they themselves are not living a righteous life.

So, if Jesus’ words are not clear enough for you, Peter further solidifies Judas’ destiny, leaving no doubt:

Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. For it is written in the Book of Psalms, “May his camp become desolate, and let there be no one to dwell in it; and let another take his office”. (Acts 1:18‭, ‬20 ESV)

Peter knew what it was like to be on the brink. Keep in mind that both Peter and Judas had betrayed Jesus. The big difference was that Peter truly repented, whereas Judas only felt remorse. So, to all the hirelings, goats, and wolves out there, please repent before it is too late. Remorse alone only ends in spiritual death.

I will wrap it up with the question Jesus asked at the beginning of this article: Will Jesus find you living a life of faith when He Returns?