This morning we are going to finish up our sermon series, “Beware,” where we have been looking at some of the dangers Jesus warned His followers about during His ministry. We have seen the dangers of the false teachers and those whom Jesus described as wolves in sheep's clothing. We have been warned about the yeast of the Pharisees, which was hypocrisy. Then last week we learned about the dangers of spiritual drowsiness in light of the fact that the return of Jesus is imminent. This morning I want to finish with a warning that is found in Matthew, so if you have your Bibles turn with me to Matthew 10:16 and let’s read the first two verses of our text this morning.
Matthew 10:16-17
“Look, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves. So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as doves. But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues.”
This warning is a perfect example of why you can’t just take a verse and build our understanding of what God wants from just a single verse. You must read those verses in context of what is being said around it and who they are being spoken to in order to truly understand them. If you were just to read verse 16 & 17 without reading any more, you would think Jesus’ warning is to beware of persecution. However, if you try to understand this without context you will not only be believing a false teaching, but you will miss out on a major truth we are called to live out as we follow Jesus. So let’s begin by looking at verse 16 & 17 in a little more depth.
The Identity & Attitude of the Sent - Matthew 10:16
Jesus opens verse 16 by commissioning His disciples for the mission ahead. This commissioning statement is very profound in many different ways and it all starts with the pronoun Jesus uses at the start of this verse. The “I” Jesus uses here is more than just a simple pronoun, it is a declaration of His authority. This is seen more if we read it in the context of Matthew 28:18 when He says, “I have been given all authority on heaven and earth therefore…”. In both of these verses Jesus is declaring His supremacy because there was only one person who had the authority to send people like Jesus was sending them and that was God, He had the same authority because He was God. It’s because of this ultimate authority that we know everything else Jesus said is true — it’s because He is God. Once His supremacy and authority is established in a single word, Jesus then tells them what He is doing with that authority, He was going to send them and this wasn’t a one time thing. They were going to be known as “sent” people. This was going to be part of their new identity. The idea of being a “sent” people was a foreign one to His disciples there that day because throughout the Old Testament the Jewish people were not really a “sent” people. They were more of a “Come and See” people. In Deuteronomy 4:6-8 we see that the nation of Israel was commanded to obey God’s law so all nations will see them and give glory to God. In 1 Kings 10, the Queen of Sheba heard about God’s wisdom and came to see it herself by visiting Solomon. In Zechariah 8:23 we are told that people will grab ahold of the Jews and say “Let us go with you, we heard the Lord is with you”. However, following Jesus isn’t about others coming and hearing about Jesus, it’s about going to tell others about Him. That’s why the supremacy of Jesus was important. He has declared a new way and only God could do that. These men were being called not to just live in community with other believers — but they were called to go. Yes, they were to gather together in order to be challenged by God’s Word. They were to be encouraged and equipped but also they were to fulfill the rest of Matthew 28 and that can’t be done just sitting around with like minded individuals. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Teaching them all I have commanded you…”. This was part of the shaping of their new identity. There was still one more part of their new identity they needed to embrace as followers of Jesus — they were also sheep. Three things I want to mention briefly about the importance of followers of Jesus' identity as sheep. First it’s because sheep are defenseless without their shepherd. Second, sheep are not leaders, however, they all follow something. They have a herd mentality and we have seen the dangers of that when we looked at the wolves in sheep's clothing. Third, sometimes sheep wander where they think it is best and they tend to get stuck in situations they can’t get themselves out of and it will lead to their ultimate demise. Understanding these three points will be of the utmost importance in understanding Jesus’ warning. We will revisit these points in just a moment. Jesus then speaks of not what we ARE but what we are to BE. These are things we are going to have to be intentional about. The first characteristic we are going to have to show is the shrewdness of a snake. Now we all know snakes do not have arms or legs but they don’t let that fact hold them back from getting what they need. I had a friend who had a snake and would tell me it would get out from time to time. I thought that must be easy to find because he had to be somewhere on the floor, but he told me they never found him on the floor. This snake knew what it needed. It needed food and it needed warmth being a cold-blooded animal. So without arms or legs, that snake would climb and even jump to get into overhead heating vents, VCR’s, and kitchen cabinets to accomplish its mission for food and warmth. This is what is meant by shrewd. It is knowing your limitations and knowing your mission. It is then being thoughtful on how to accomplish those goals with what God has given you. This has to be intentional because it’s natural for us. We know our mission, it is to go and make disciples of all nations. How we go about doing that is with the gifts and talents Jesus has trusted us with. Therefore we are going to have to be shrewd in order to carry out our Master’s mission. The second thing we are called to be is as harmless as doves. 1 Peter 3:15-16 explains this idea very well, “Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.” As a Christian this is how we are called to be as doves. Gentle and respectful with a clear conscience in all that we do as we worship the Lord with our entire lives. With this, Jesus is finished with making sure we embrace our identities and attitude as sent followers. It’s with this understanding of who we are and what we are supposed to do that we can understand the warning Jesus gives.
The Warning to the Sent - Matthew 10:17-20
But beware! For you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues. You will stand trial before governors and kings because you are my followers. But this will be your opportunity to tell the rulers and other unbelievers about me. When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
When we read Jesus’ warning in its entirety there are a few things that should jump out to us. The first thing we see is the reality of persecution for “sent” people. Jesus is not saying that persecution might happen. He says you WILL be handed over and you WILL stand trial. This is a reality for all followers of Jesus and we are reminded of this dozens of times in the New Testament. 2 Timothy 3:12 says “Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” 1 Peter 4:12-14 tells us “Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. If you are insulted because you bear the name of Christ, you will be blessed, for the glorious Spirit of God rests upon you.” Jesus said in Luke 6:22, “What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man.” This is not something Jesus is warning us about. He is telling us that this is something that will happen if we follow Him in obedience. Something else we need to notice is the reason this persecution will happen, it’s because we belong to Him. It’s not because of anything we do or because we look funny. We will experience this persecution because we follow Him. That’s the only reason. Therefore, we can’t be surprised when it comes to a follower of Jesus. True persecution does not come because of an accident that we might avoid by heeding Jesus’ warning. Persecution comes because it’s a part of God’s plan for followers of Jesus. It’s God’s plan to get you into places you might never go and be face to face with people who you may never meet. When you do find yourself in these situations, this is when you have to be shrewd like the snake and harmless like the dove. You know your mission and what God has gifted you with. Then is the time to tell them about your hope in Jesus. The disciples understood this and lived it out. Jesus had left for the last time and told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came. 10 days later on Pentecost they received the Holy Spirit and the church began. 5,000 people had been saved in a matter of just a few days and at that point Peter and John were both arrested. Put yourself in their shoes for a moment. How would you respond to this arrest? Our natural reaction would probably be to experience stress in some form and as we saw last week, stress hinders our relationship with Jesus. However, these disciples did not panic, but they proclaimed. We see in Acts 4, that Peter and John brought up Psalm 118:22 about the One whom the builders reject being the cornerstone and how that rejected cornerstone was Jesus. He is the only way to experience salvation, not in the Mosaic Law in which they were experts. These men saw their opportunity and took it. This is something that all followers of Jesus must do. Since we don’t experience persecution like this in America yet, we can apply this principle to other events in our lives that might bring stress instead of opportunities. Maybe a fender bender, or a wrong order at a restaurant, or maybe even an illness that causes us to spend time at the doctor or a hospital. God has a reason for all of this and part of that reason is another opportunity to share the Gospel and minister to the lost. Therefore, when these things happen don’t be discouraged, instead look at it as an opportunity that has been opened for you to share Jesus. This still doesn’t address Jesus’ warning, these are just stated realities for everyone who follows Jesus. Jesus’ warning is found in verse 19 & 20. “When you are arrested, don’t worry about how to respond or what to say. God will give you the right words at the right time. For it is not you who will be speaking—it will be the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” The warning is about trying to do any of this in your own power. To embrace your identity in Christ, you have to rely on the Holy Spirit working inside of you. You are too proud to admit you are a sheep, but the truth is you need the Good Shepherd to protect and guide you. You need to rely on the Holy Spirit to embrace your identity as “sent” people, because our nature is to be comfortable. Being sent is never comfortable. We aren’t going to be able to be shrewd or harmless without the Holy Spirit's help because human nature is just the opposite. When we have opportunities to share the Gospel, we cannot be confident in our own abilities because that isn’t what we are called to do. We are called not to worry about what words to speak because the Holy Spirit will be speaking through you. What does this mean? We’ve spoken often about not doing things in our own power so that we should understand but what does it mean that the Holy Spirit will speak through you? Let’s look at one thing it doesn’t mean. It doesn't mean we shouldn’t be prepared to share our faith and we share our faith by rightly handling the Word of God. 2 Timothy 2:15 tells us we need to study to be approved of God with the ability to rightly handle His word. We are also called to hide God’s Word in our hearts according to Psalm 119:11. Therefore, when we do this and we are given an opportunity to share the Gospel through persecution or any other chance, we are to be ready to wield the Sword of the Spirit which is the Word of the Lord. Then let the Word of God take care of the rest. If we are in a situation where we don’t have our sword and we need to share, this is when we use the word that is hidden in our hearts to share the Gospel. We are not called to be salesmen of Jesus. We aren't trying to talk someone into following Jesus. We are just called to speak through the Holy Spirit every time we are given an opportunity and not rely on our own abilities, or through our own power.
It’s a dangerous world out there that you are being sent by Jesus into. They are wolves while you are just sheep. However, don’t worry, you are being protected by the Great Shepherd. Trust Him and not in yourself. As David said in the 23rd Psalm, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want” and that is true for all followers of Jesus. He will provide for all of your needs according to His riches in glory. Always be ready to share the Gospel at every opportunity — telling them that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God according to Romans 3:23. Also according to Romans 6:23 that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 10:9 tells us that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. It’s the same Gospel Jesus saved you and it’s the same Gospel that can save everyone you ever run into.
