Month: January 2017

A friend asked me a couple of weeks ago: “Did you ever think Christians would be treated this way in our country?”  I inquired what he meant.  He was referring to the media backlash against Christians in the name of political correctness.  As we talked I thought of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.”  In the verses following Jesus describes the persecution his disciples can expect as he sends them out with the message of the gospel.  He tells them to expect to be flogged, beaten, placed on trial and even put to death.  The trials and persecution will come from men of the Synagogues and from close family members.

We have enjoyed religious freedom and safety for a long time in our nation.  Most believers have never faced any opposition or persecution for being a believer.  This is due in part to the freedoms protected by our Constitution.  However, it may also be in part due to believers are reluctant to discuss or share their beliefs outside the safety of Church meetings and when gathered with people who hold the same beliefs.

Society expects believers to be as “Gentle as doves” however they do not expect when believers are “wise as serpents”.  In Genesis 3:1 the serpent is described as the most cunning of the creatures of the field God created.  The serpent is usually viewed as the instrument Satan used to cause the fall of man and people tend to forget the Serpent is one of God’s creatures.  The serpent was only used by Satan to lead mankind into sin.  The Serpent remains one of God’s creatures.

Believers are to use wisdom, intelligence, prudence, cunning (in a positive way) and love to share the Gospel with the world.  Believers should not be surprised when opposition and persecution come.  If one reads the whole of the New Testament and studies the lives of the Apostles, disciples and early leaders from scripture they will see that all were persecuted for thier faith and for the sake of the Gospel.  The persecution began with Jesus and carried through all of the Apostles.

Why should western believers be treated any differently than first century believers and believers in many parts of the world today?

We should question why we are not facing opposition instead of why we are facing a little media backlash.  Believers have not faced opposition because to many have been “as quiet as a Church mouse” when outside the confines of the buildings in which the church meets.  Most have never faced any personal threats or opposition.  The opposition could be mostly media hype with no real threats.

In the preceding verses of Matthew 10, Jesus sends his disciples out to the “lost sheep of Israel”.  Who are the lost sheep of your family, church, community, county, state, country and world that Jesus is sending you to share the message of the Gospel with?

The souls of the lost is worth more than any opposition or persecution a believer may face.

Who or what is the shepherd of your life?  Do you know anyone who does not have the right shepherd in their life?

Rick Warren writes that we all have drivers in our life.  We are driven by something.  Some are driven by money, power, relationships, things and some have practically no drive.  As Jesus went about the region of Galilee proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom he noticed the multitude of of the people were “…harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” Matthew 9:36.  The multitude who lived in the region in Jesus day were harassed and helpless in many ways.  The lived in subjection to an occupation government.  Taxes were high.  People lived in constant fear of persecution.  They worked to provide food and shelter for their families and the circumstances of the days gave most people little hope.

Jesus was a man of compassion.  He had compassion on the crowds when he saw they were harassed and helpless.  He used his power of healing to help those who had physical issues and illnesses.  But, his primary message was to share the good news (Gospel) about the Kingdom.  Believers should have compassion and share the gospel of the Kingdom with others.

Today we do not see ourselves as being harassed and helpless in the same sense of the people of Galilee in Jesus day.  I would submit that many people today may not be harassed and helpless, but many are following the wrong shepherd.  Families and individuals both inside and outside the church should consider their shepherd.  Children and children’s sports/activities have become the shepherd of many families.  The entire schedule of the family is centered around the activities of the child.  Some are shepherded by their work or career.  Their life and their identity are based on what they do for a living.  And the list goes on.

The Shepherd Jesus refers to is the only shepherd we should be following, the shepherd of the Holy Spirit.  If a persons priority in life is anything other than God then they are following the wrong shepherd.

This passage closes with Jesus telling his disciples to pray to the Lord of the harvest.  Pray that the Lord will send workers.  Christians and churches usually pray with a list of requests and needs.  Scripture does encourage Christians to pray for needs and health issues.  But the real purpose of prayer is to bring the believer to the plans of God not to request God to fulfill our plan.  If believers would pray for the Lord to send workers to specific lost souls, souls without a shepherd.  The Lord will send the worker.  Some may even find they are the worker the Lord is sending to the lost soul.

Ask yourself where you need to show compassion, share the message of Christ and pray for those in your circle of influence who do not have Christ as their shepherd.

Matthew 9:35-38