#103 | Sheep Among Wolves | Romans 8:36 | The Great 8

Let's be honest. Romans 8:36 probably isn't anyone's favorite verse.

We love promises about victory. Blessing. Breakthrough. Miracles.

But right in the middle of one of the greatest chapters in the Bible, Paul says,

"We are counted as sheep to be slaughtered."

Why would he say that?

Because biblical faith was never built on the promise of an easy life. It was built on the promise of a faithful Shepherd. Paul reaches back to Psalm 44 to remind believers that God's people have always faced hardship—not because they abandoned God, but often because they remained faithful to Him. 

Following Jesus has always come with opposition. Wolves are real. Valleys are real. Suffering is real. But none of those realities cancel the greater reality that the Shepherd never leaves His sheep.

In this episode, we unpack three powerful truths from Romans 8:36:

1. Following Jesus Has Always Been Costly — Faithfulness often invites opposition. Don't mistake resistance for God's rejection. The path of Jesus has always included a cross before a crown.

2. The Shepherd Never Leaves His Sheep — God's promise isn't that you'll avoid valleys. It's that you'll never walk through them alone. His presence is greater than your pain.

3. Endurance Speaks Louder Than Escape — Biblical faith isn't pretending life doesn't hurt. It's continuing to trust, obey, worship, and follow Jesus even when quitting would be easier.

Ultimately, Jesus became the Lamb who was led to slaughter so His sheep could be brought safely home. He knows suffering because He entered it. He knows valleys because He walked through them. And today, our Shepherd still leads His people with nail-scarred hands.

Final Application:

• Have you mistaken opposition for God's absence?
• Where do you need to trust the Shepherd instead of fearing the wolves?
• What would faithfulness look like if you simply refused to quit today?
• Stay close. Keep following. The Shepherd is still leading.

Because...

The safest place in the world isn't the absence of wolves...

It's the presence of the Shepherd.

Book Derek Griffon to Speak at your next event 

https://www.derekgriffon.com/invite

Transcript

Welcome \\ Daily Rebel Mission

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This podcast is for the ones who know they will rescue, but also know they will resent. Saved by grace, sent to live differently. We're not rebelling against God, we're rebelling against everything that keeps us from. And every day we don't swing our opinions, we sharpen our lives on the word of God, the sword of the Spirit guiding us, cutting through lives, and leading us one step at a time. We'll talk faith, identity, purpose, leadership, and what it really looks like to follow Jesus in a distracted world. Welcome to the Daily Rebel. Yo, what's going on, Daily Rebels? Here we go. We're on day three and we're going into Romans chapter

Romans 8:36

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8, verse 36. Here we go. I'm gonna read it. It says, That is as it is written, because of you, we're being put to death. We are being put to death all day long. We are counted as sheep to be slaughtered. Can I be honest? This verse doesn't fit the kind of Christianity most people want. You know, we love verses about victory, blessing, favor, and even breakthrough. And if Paul follows one of the greatest promises in Romans with one of the hardest realities, we are counted as

Sheep Among Wolves

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sheep to be slaughtered. That's not exactly the verse people put on coffee mugs, right? So why would Paul quote that? Because he wants us to understand something every believer eventually has to learn. That following Jesus does not remove hardship, it gives meaning to hardship. Faithfulness is not proven when life is easy, it's revealed when following Jesus costs you something. So Paul isn't making this up. He's

Why Paul Quotes Psalm 44

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quoting Psalm 44. Israel was suffering, not because they abandoned God this time, but but while they were remaining faithful to him, they were confused. God, we're obeying you. So why are we suffering? And Paul says that experience isn't new. God's people have always walked through seasons where faithfulness came with suffering. Difficulty is not always a sign, you're outside of God's will. Sometimes it's proof you're walking right through in the middle of it. It's funny when people say things like, the most safest place you can be is in the will of God. And then you read the Bible and you start realizing that there was a lot of uh places that God's own people had to go through and in danger. Like Daniel was in captivity for 70 years and even thrown into a lion's den for being faithful. Like Jesus ended up being horrifically murdered because of his faithfulness. Like, like think about a bunch of the apostle Paul would eventually have his head cut off. Like John was dipped in oil and in exile. Like you, so listen, it being in the will of God is not always the safest place. And what people are meaning is that you have his security. But listen to me. Again, difficulty is not a sign that you're outside of the God's will. But listen, Paul writes, because of you, notice that, but not because of bad decisions, because of foolishness or rebellion, because of you. In other words, because they belong to God. And then he says, we are being put to death all day long. This isn't describing one terrible day. The Greek tense points to something continual, ongoing. It's a repeated lifestyle of suffering. And then Paul says, we are

Why Believers Are Called Sheep

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counted as sheep to be slaughtered. Why sheep? Because sheep aren't known for fighting. They're actually known for following. They're dependent, they're vulnerable, completely dependent upon a shepherd. And Paul isn't calling believers weak. He's reminding us where we get our strength from. Sheep do not survive because they're strong by any means. They are dumb. Go back and listen to my episodes in the book of James about sheep. But they survive because they stay close to the shepherd. The presence of wolves does not mean the absence of the shepherd. Let me give

Point 1: Following Jesus Has Always Been Costly

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all three points. Number one, following Jesus has always been costly. Faithfulness often invites opposition, y'all. Jesus never promised his followers an easy road. He promised a narrow one, one full of life. He told his disciples, hey, if they persecuted me, they're going to persecute you. And some of the greatest heroes of scripture suffered deeply. So why should we expect a different road than our Savior walked? See, the path of Jesus has always included a cross before a crown. Don't mistake opposition for abandonment. Suffering isn't the end of the story. Here's

Point 2: The Shepherd Never Leaves His Sheep

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number two. If number one is following Jesus has always been costly, number two is the shepherd never never leaves his sheep. The shepherd never leaves his sheep. His presence is greater than your pain. Sometimes it's even greater in your pain. And notice what Paul doesn't say. He doesn't say the shepherd runs when wolves appear. He says he stays.

The Valley Is Where God Walks Closest

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That's the difference. The promise isn't the absence of valleys, it's the presence of God. The shepherd doesn't love you less because you're in the valley. If anything, the shepherd walks even closer while you're there. And sometimes the valley becomes the place where we hear his voice most clearly. The valley isn't where God leaves you, it's often where he leads you. Where have you confused God's presence with your circumstances? And that's why we endure,

Point 3: Endurance Speaks Louder Than Escape

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which is number three. Endurance speaks louder than escape. Keep following him. Paul could have prayed, God, remove every wolf and said he kept following the shepherd. That's biblical endurance.

Keep Following The Shepherd

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Not pretending life doesn't hurt, not denying the pain, not smiling through tears. It's choosing faithfulness when quitting would be easier. Culture celebrates comfort. Jesus celebrates endurance. Anybody can follow Jesus when the road is smooth, but faithful disciples keep walking, they keep moving even when the path gets deep. So listen, keep praying, keep trusting, keep worshiping, keep obeying, keep showing up, keep opening your Bible, keep gathering with God's people, keep following the shepherd because wolves don't determine your future. The shepherd does. Faithfulness isn't flashy, y'all. Sometimes it's simply refusing to quit. And Jesus became

The Lamb Who Became Our Shepherd

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the lamb who was led to the slaughter so his sheep could be brought safely home. He walked through suffering, he endured the cross, he conquered the grave, and now our shepherd leads us with nail-scarred hands. The shepherd knows exactly what it feels like to suffer. That's why you can trust him, even in the valley. And being surrounded by wolves doesn't mean you've been abandoned by the shepherd. So what if your current hardship isn't evidence that God has left you, but an opportunity to trust him more deeply? Hey, stay

Stay Close To The Shepherd

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close. Keep following. Don't let the wolves distract you from the shepherd. There's always going to be wolves and valleys and hard seasons, but listen, the shepherd never abandons his sheep. Stay close, stay faithful. Listen, even when it's dangerous, you can trust a devoted God. Amen.

Outro

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Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help other people be equipped to be redeemed rebels, give us a follow and share it around with your friends. We'll see you next time.