Sheep Among Wolves, A Hostile World (Mt. 10.16-25)

SHEEP AMONG WOLVES (PART 1): LIVING IN A HOSTILE WORLD) Matthew 10:16–25 – MHAFB, 17 Feb 19 Series: Life of Jesus / Topics: Life of Jesus; Teachings of Jesus; Commission, Family of God, Hostility, Persecution ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Opening of Worship Passage: Psalm 27:1-3, 11-14 (alternatively, Psalm 22:1-5) Slide, Psalm 119:105: Introduction 1. Attention: One of the interesting things in human culture is to see how membership to different groups can gain or lose you different things a. For example--How many of you enjoy a good military discount? i. Ah, but then again, we do take the oath that says we will willingly sacrifice our life to defend the constitution of the US! ii. And sometimes you’ll come across people who are very anti-military which can result on other negative things! b. Another example—consider a football teams… i. You get some amazing pay! However your body could be permanently broken… ii. In one region you are usually greatly loved & appreciated! But in other regions they may spit on you & demean you… c. And of course we could look at political parties & leaders… but let’s not. d. Point being—the groups you are a part of have consequences (both positive & negative) in your life. 2. Big Picture: And it is along those lines that I want to direct our thoughts today—but specifically in regards to one’s membership in “the family of God” a. Slide, Title1: Today’s sermon is entitled, “Sheep Among Wolves (Part 1): A Hostile World i. Next week we will look at how the Father’s love plays a larger role for us, ii. But for this week we’re going to consider the positive & negative consequences that are associated with being in the family of God 1. We have available to us a peace that passes understanding & an overflowing joy from the present of God’s ever-present Spirit! a. We have forgiveness from sins & a secure future in heaven! 2. And yet we also know that everything is not sunshine & roses… a. The way of Jesus is not an easy one… And so today we will consider how… b. Slide, Thesis: Being in the family of Jesus will put you at odds with the rest of humanity i. Throughout history Christians have been the recipients of hatred, persecution, & death because they bear the name of Jesus ii. Our Good News, with Jesus’ exclusive claims & declaration of ultimate truth, will actually bring division into our world! c. Verses: Jesus knew this & He didn’t want His disciples to be surprised by it, and so, in Matthew 10, Jesus prepares His disciples for this hardship… i. Context: Before we get into our verses it is important to note a few quick things that happen just before them… a. (As a side note, always overview the context of the Scriptures—it will give clarity & understanding into what you read!) 1. Last week, in recognition of Valentine’s Day we jumped forward in Jesus’ ministry to His lesson on the Greatest Commandment a. This week we’re returning back to earlier in His ministry when Jesus commissioned His 12 disciples to go out in ministry on their own. 2. Matthew 10:1 well introduces this section: “Summoning His 12 disciples, He gave them authority…” a. Since Ch 8 we’ve been seeing Matthew emphasize the all-encompassing authority of Jesus (teacher, preacher, healer, warrior, forgiver), b. And yet now in this verse we see His generous heart… He entrusts His authority to His disciples! 3. Vv2-4 share the “Alpha Roster” of Jesus’ 12 apostles (a Greek word meaning, “sent one”) 4. Vv5-15 then go on to share the ROEs that Jesus shares for His disciples as He sends them on His behalf a. (I encourage you to read these on your own time this week; they highly emphasize the disciples’ need to trust God for His gracious provision!) 5. And it is right after this that we hear how Being in the family of Jesus will put you at odds with the rest of humanity d. 2 Slides, Passage: Here in Matthew 10:16-25 Jesus warns His disciples that representing Jesus in the proclamation that “The kingdom of heaven has come near" (Mt. 10:7) will not always be easy! Follow along with me as I read… Matthew 10:16–25 CSB 16 “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. 17 Beware of them, because they will hand you over to local courts and flog you in their synagogues. 18 You will even be brought before governors and kings because of me, to bear witness to them and to the Gentiles. 19 But when they hand you over, don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, 20 because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you. 21 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. 22 You will be hated by everyone because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to another. For truly I tell you, you will not have gone through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes. 24 A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. 25 It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household! e. Transition: And we will stop there for this week… although we do plan to pick up on the next verse next week i. A sheep among wolves, arrested, betrayed, & hated… 1. How does that sound for job benefits? 2. And yet this is our lot as those who truly live out Christ to a broken and hurt world. ii. Jesus later says in v34, “Don’t assume that I came to bring peace on the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.” (CSB) 1. The message of Christ is a divisive message 2. But before we get into the divisiveness of the message, let’s consider… Slides, Main Point 1a: What does it mean to be in the family of Jesus? 1. Explain: a. Let’s not talk about salvation here. i. We’ve talked about that in more detail previously & I always invite you to come and talk with me if you have any questions about it! b. Today’s focus is about what happens next—What changes for you when you become a part of the family of Jesus? i. Three key things that every person longs to have in their life are found in this: Belonging, Identity, & Purpose c. MP1b & c: Belonging: From introverts to extroverts, all humans are social beings and long for this—A group with whom we are intimately attached. i. MP1d: A group with whom we find safety & acceptance and have many shared interests. ii. In both vv20 & 29 Jesus speaks of God as His apostles’ Father, whom He also calls His father in vv3233; 1. MP1e: Highlighting that they we all brothers & sisters together in the family of God 2. This becomes especially important when in verses 21 & 35-37 when Jesus highlights how being in God’s family can cause extreme estrangement with your birth family! iii. In vv24-25 Jesus used other common relationship terms of the day to further highlighting different nuances of our relationship with Jesus: 1. He is their master/boss & they are the servant-subordinate 2. He is the teacher & they are the disciple-student iv. As those who have been saved, we have entered a new family— 1. We are now intimately attached to God, through Him we have safety, acceptance, & many shared interests. 2. Secondly, let’s look at… d. MP1f: Identity: These are the characteristics that define who we are. i. This focuses on answering the question of, “Who am I?” ii. All humans start with identity as being those made in the image of God— 1. Each worthy of the love, dignity, & respect therein! iii. But in the world, people vigorously try to define themselves by all sorts of things 1. The color of their skin, the land of their birth, the inclinations of their affections, their political views, and more! iv. As Christians we understand that our identity naturally flows from the group to which we belong— 1. Entering into God’s family, we are defined by our spiritual standing before God! 2. MP1g, h, i, j: We are children of God, students & servants of Jesus a. Despite being among wolves, we are sheep of the Good Shepherd— i. And nothing can snatch us from His hands! b. You are sent in Jesus’ authority & equipped by His generous provision! 3. You are those who are deeply loved & valued by the Creator of the Universe who, as a Christian, is also your personal spiritual Father in heaven! v. Now, let’s look at our… e. MP1k & l: Purpose: This is what we are here for, what the meaning of our life is. i. Everyone longs for for purpose in his/her life 1. While each individual Christian has different specialized purposes in their life (& many often labor in prayer seeking greater clarification on these!), 2. Within this passage Jesus helps us realize that anyone in the Family of God has certain clear purposes, that we are saved & sent for ii. We are sent to share God’s good word & good works… 1. MP1m: Words: In v7 Jesus shares that we are to “proclaim ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near!’” a. Concerning exactly how we must share this if brought before authorities, Jesus says, “don’t worry about how or what you are to speak. For you will be given what to say at that hour, because it isn’t you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father is speaking through you.” (19b20) b. Furthermore, later in v27 Jesus shares, “What I tell you in the dark, speak in the light. What you hear in a whisper, proclaim on the housetops.” 2. MP1n & o: Works: In v8 Jesus shares, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those with leprosy, drive out demons, Freely you received, freely give.” a. As members of Jesus’ family, we demonstrate His generous works of love i. MP1q: Which will naturally result as we share His heart of love! iii. Every Christian has these good purposes—to share the good words and good works of Jesus. f. Our belonging, identity, & purpose—this is what it means to be in the family of Jesus! 2. Transition: However… With this affiliation comes other consequences—let’s look at those now… Slides, Main Point 2a: What are the worldly consequences of being in the family of Jesus? 1. Explain: a. MP2b: A few weeks ago we spoke about how we live in a world that is adversarial to Jesus, i. From Satan and demons to human rebellion— ii. There are many who would rather not have the family of God around… b. MP2c: As Paul laments in Philippians 3:18, “For I have often told you, and now say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (CSB) i. MP2d: And as Jesus shares in Mt. 10:24-25, “A disciple is not above his teacher, or a slave above his master. It is enough for a disciple to become like his teacher and a slave like his master. If they called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more the members of his household!” ii. Our affiliation with Jesus will cause the hostility of those who are against God to fall upon us! c. Just consider some of the insights that Jesus shares: i. In v14 He speaks about those who will not welcome or listen to the family of God ii. In v16 He speaks of us as being sheeps among wolves-1. A prospect that would be much more frightening were our Shepherd not “The Good Shepherd” who will not let anything snatch us from His hand (John 10:11–18, 25-30) iii. In v17 Jesus outright says, “Beware!” and shares that the reason is because God’s family will be handed over to courts and brought before political rulers because of Jesus. iv. From vv21-22 Jesus warns, “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rise up against parents and have them put to death. You will be hated by everyone because of my name.” 1. A note that Jesus reemphasizes in the later verses of 34-36 where He quotes Micah 7:6 to highlight how Jesus’ own message will not bring peace in this context… Rather, it will “turn a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law” v. In v23 Jesus warns that they will persecute us in various towns vi. And in vv24-25 we are reminded that just as Jesus was falsely accused of being the devil, so would the world falsely accuse His household! 2. Illustrate: You can see this growing all the more in American culture throughout the political spectrum where Christians are accused of immorality & shamed for such things as... a. Defending the life of the unborn, b. Standing for the dignity of foreigners, c. Speaking against greedy forms of capitalism or the welfare state, or for d. Advocating for sexual purity at all levels! e. Sharing the exclusive claims of Christ—claims such as… i. What Jesus shared to Satan, “…You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.”” (Matthew 4:10b, NASB) ii. Or what Jesus shared about the only the way to God, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6b, CSB) iii. Or what His Peter & John later shared when they were arrested for sharing the good word & works of Jesus, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12, CSB) f. These are not messages that our world likes to hear! i. Again, as Paul laments in Philippians 3:18, I “say again with tears, that many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.” (CSB) 3. MP2e & f: Expand: And yet as those who are in the family of God, we must nonetheless stand for what our God & Father stands for! a. We must be ambassador’s of Jesus! b. We have been given a high & holy calling as part of this family. c. May we be true to this calling, sharing the truth in love, even when we are un-welcomed, arrested, betrayed, persecuted, falsely accused, or even killed d. May we do so ever remembering what we looked at on Jan 27, that Jesus is our Warrior! 4. Transition: Now, let’s move to our conclusion… Slides, Conclusion-a: Conclusion 1. Reiterate: Being in the family of Jesus will put you at odds with the rest of humanity a. We are in the family of God, which has revolutionized our belonging, identity, & purpose i. But being in this different family has had some consequences regarding the rest of the world… b. The world is now hostile to us i. While our nation has been relatively safe for Christians since it’s founding, we see more and more hostility gaining strength ii. And beyond our own nation, around the world, we have brothers & sisters in Christ who suffer great persecution—even death c. But such are the consequences for those who belong to the family of God. i. But those are consequences well worth it when you consider what being in the family of God means (something we will look more at next week in part 2) 2. Apply: But for now, let’s try to bring this home—what does it mean for us? How should we respond? a. Con-b: Consider the Cost of being in God’s family (cf. Matthew 10:37-39, 16:24-28; Luke 14:25–33) i. Later in vv37-39 of this commissioning speech, 1. Con-c: Jesus reminds His disciples that He must be the priority over our families & our own lives a. Vv21-22 & 34-36 emphasized how families will be turned against each other i. Sadly, even sometimes within Christian families, one individuals choice for radical obedience to Christ will put them at odds with others... ii. Now, don’t take lightly the counsel of your family, but don’t put it above Christ. b. Jesus also shared, “whoever doesn’t take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Anyone who finds his life will lose it, and anyone who loses his life because of me will find it.” i. Remember, the cross is an instrument of death, share that we must ‘take up our cross’ to follow Him is to say that we must willingly lay down our life to be in His family—a demand we see Him again state in Matthew 16:24. ii. So, count the cost of following Christ & joining His family! 1. Con-d & e: The rewards are eternal & they far exceed the cost—but don’t be surprised by a hostile world a. Jesus has warned you for these very purposes! iii. Con-f: Also with this, as those in the family of Jesus, we must diligently work to remove every idol that fights against His priority in our life. 1. These verses actually warn us about the idolatry of family— a. Something that conservative Christianity is highly susceptible to! 2. Another that our culture is quite susceptible to is what we call the “Prosperity Gospel” a. This is the false teaching that everyone who follows Jesus will have a physically prosperous life on earth b. Looking through warnings such as the ones we have today put this heresy to rest quite easily. iv. Whether it is physical prosperity, family, power & influence—whatever the idols, let us diligently remove them! b. Con-g: Embrace your spiritual family! i. Recognize your belonging here, make clear your identity that results from this, live out your purpose (be sent!) ii. Draw near to your brothers & sisters in Christ 1. Con-h & i: Be built up by them & help build them up 2. Find strength, encouragement, godly correction, & accountability with this community! iii. Lean on these things when hostility rises! 1. Don’t be worried, learn to listen more to God (v) & look to His coming (v) 2. Stand for what is right even when unpopular or accused of being immoral iv. And remember that this community is world-wide! 1. Remember your brothers and sisters in other lands 2. Recognize that while the hostility in America is real—it is really mild 3. Con-j & k: Pray for the persecuted church! (c.f. “Voice of the Martyrs”) & even consider what you can do for them c. Con-l: Respond to hostility as Jesus responded! i. Realize the truth of Romans 5:10, “...while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son...” (CSB) 1. Or Colossians 1:21–22, “Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds expressed in your evil actions. But now he has reconciled you by his physical body through his death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before him.” (CSB) a. While we were enemies to God, while we spat in His face & cursed Him, while we killed in in our sins… b. Even then, Jesus loved us & sacrificially demonstrated it to us 2. Con-m: So let us love our broken world! a. Live out the counsel of Jesus’ good friend John, “Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another.” (1 John 4:11, CSB) b. Even loving the world that seems hostile toward us c. Don’t hold their sins against them, forgive as Christ forgave d. As you have freely received, freely give, even to the undeserving (for such were you!)! ii. Such love must align with our life purpose as those in God’s family 1. Speaking the Gospel & God’s truth in love, & 2. Regularly demonstrating generous good works iii. Con-n: And let us also learn & live in godly wisdom toward the world... 1. As Jesus said, “Look, I’m sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as serpents and as innocent as doves. Beware of them!" (v16-17a) 2. Sometimes Christians are belligerent & rude in how they live or share the Gospel. a. And then they claim persecution when people get mad at them... b. May this never be us! c. Con-o: And may we instead never be rude but express the commandment to love our neighbor through attitudes and actions of kindness to all in the world 3. Furthermore, as Peter shares in 1 Peter 3:17, “For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” (CSB) a. Con-p: Let us be above reproach in this world, obedient to the authorities placed over us i. Godly civil laws and other right expectations (such as at work, home, etc.) 4. And always remember to lean on God in these things. a. You will fail at times, b. He knows this, and He fully forgives. c. Merely repent, humble yourself to make it right, and then grow to avoid such sins 3. Appeal: Being in the family of Jesus will put you at odds with the rest of humanity a. We are sheep among wolves, Christians in a hostile world. b. But do not fear or be dismayed! Do not be discouraged or disillusioned... c. There are more words to come from Jesus in His sermon of Matthew 10… i. But we shall turn to those next week. d. Until then… i. Consider the cost of being in God’s family—sacrifices must be made, Jesus must be first in your life... ii. Embrace your spiritual family—be built up & build them up! iii. Respond to hostility as Jesus responded—with love and wisdom. 4. Pray with me: Jesus, you have warned us and given us a sobering reminder of what it means to be in Your family. a. Help us indeed to count the cost and live up to the high calling You have given us. b. Help us to daily draw our belonging, identity and purpose from our relationship with You c. And enable us to respond to a hostile world in the very way that you do—with wisdom & love. d. Be with us now we pray, in Jesus name, Amen.