Sheep among Wolves: What to Expect, Part 1

Today on Insight for living for Jesus words is the all important value of believers live will we live among and they are growing in number. Their savagery is making more and more of the headline.

Be aware of the same time. Don't be afraid. Sometimes we mistakenly believe that God has called his father to a life of comfort and ease the abundant life as we see it should be devoid of conflict and suffering. And yet when Jesus recruited the 12 disciples, he warned them about the hostile culture in which they live. Jesus referred to his new recruit says sheep among wolves today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will describe the meaning of that surprising metaphor and its implications to his followers in 2021 check title. Today's message sheep among wolves what to expect, were engaged in our journey through the gospel by Matthew, we come to the 10th chapter, we spent our time together last time in the first several verses of Matthew chapter 10, down through verse 10, and then we take over or take the next step as we go on through the chapter will not be able to complete the chapter but will at least see more and more of what the Lord had in mind for the 12 he had chosen verses one and two and three and four names them for us and then he sets them out on a journey on their own as they were to be sent forth with his message. So our Scripture begins in verse 11, and I'll read excerpts down through verse 31. I'm reading from the new living translation. Your Bible may be a different version, but you'll follow along very clearly. Matthew 10 verse 11. Whenever you enter a city or village search for a worthy person and stay in his home until you leave town.

When you enter the home. Give it your blessing. If it turns out to be a worthy home. Let your blessing stand if it is not take back the blessing, if any, household or town refuses to welcome you or listen to your message. Shake is dust from your feet as you leave verse 16 book. I am sending you out as sheep among wolves.

So be as shrewd as snakes and harmless as dollops.

But beware, for you will be handed over to the court's and will be flawed with quips in the synagogue, 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 down to verse 26, but don't be afraid of those who threaten you for the time is coming when everything that is covered will be revealed, and all that is in secret will be made known to all 28. Don't be afraid of those who want to kill your body, for they cannot touch your soul fear. Only God who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 31 so don't be afraid you are more valuable to God than a whole flock of sparrows we mentioned earlier, the thrice repeated words. Look at the three times repeated command. Don't be afraid.

Don't be afraid. Don't be afraid to his way of saying there's no reason to fear.

I am in control of whatever you're listening to Insight for the study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures.

Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies another message from Chuck about sheep among wolves what to expect all of us played the same little game and we were kids growing up it was called follow the leader remember someone was designated as the leader and the rest of us got in line and did just what the leader did and it seems strange, but the crazier the better. Waterlogged turn around the circle three times and you walk along the ones behind you walk alone turnaround circle do the same thing you get to a little stream you jump across the stream of body line jumps across the stream as a group of people there you walk by him. Hey there hey there hey there, just what the leader does get into school and it comes in handy because the leader is the teacher and he or she is always saying follow my instructions. If you follow what I tell you, you will be able to do well in this course we grew a little older we play sports we have a leader call the coach and the coach calls the shots and when you play the game.

Follow the leader going to music.

There's a conductor and as the conductor leaves those of us who sing or play follow the leader. I'm reading a fascinating book that's about leadership, but from another point of view is called turn the ship around, written by Capt. David Marquette, one of the top graduates of the US Naval Academy Marquette.

Ultimately, in his promotions finds himself the skipper of the USS Santa Fe. It is a multi-billion-dollar nuclear powered fast attack submarine.

Interestingly, he was responsible for more than 100 cellular deep in the sea, and that high stress environment. As you can imagine there was no margin for error. It was crucial that each member did his job and did it well. The problem was when Marquette took over the ship. There was a low level of morale.

The risk poor performance and that particular ship had the worst retention in the fleet. He committed to turning the ship around by changing the thinking of the sailors throughout their time on the ship. They have thought of leadership from the top down leader follower, leader follower. Whatever the leader says you follow is the responsibility there except just doing what you're told. He determined the way to increase performance and lip morale was to communicate a whole new direction and that's what he called leader leader for he's a leader would release much of the responsibility to each member of the crew and convince them of the value of taking responsibility and carrying it out. Well the results remarkable. It became the single most awarded ship in the fleet and the retention immediately grew the most improved ship in the Pacific. The most combat effective ship in the fleet.

He's convinced that when he turned the ship around. He did so by turning his sailors rather than followers in the leader, the very same assignment is the Lord Jesus when he chooses his 12 remember his first command follow me. He said to a group we were working with fishing nets. I will make you fishers of men. But right now you follow me, and they did they listen when he spoke. They watched as he healed, they marveled as he raised the dead, they struck back with mouths open as he cast out demons.

He was doing it all and they were in the shadows watching leader.

Followers until we get to the 10th chapter of Matthew we reread not only of his selecting these 12 who were named for verses two through four the very next statement we read Jesus sent them out down in verse 16 book I'm sending you out at this point he feels he is trained them sufficiently to take responsibility hope for sure verse one tells us he empowered them he gave them authority over demons. He gave them the ability to heal every kind of disease and every kind of illness but they have not done it.

Not until he sent them out.

Mark six verse seven tells us that he sent them out. Do do all 2 x 2 so they went out in groups of two, six groups, six pairs of them went out into the real world no longer mere followers, but now in a real sense, the wonder is command. They are on their own with your loved to been a bug of the wall in places where they began to do what he had done and that was the spirit of God work through them to carry out the very things they had only seen the master accomplish the heel of these men because he did. He told them what to do and what not to do. He told him where to stay and where not to stay, they would have to be discerning, they would have to determine if it was a good place for them or not.

If it was a town that rejected and noticed what he calls it. Your message not in verse 14. If they reject you, or is no longer my message. You're now carrying it and he dispatches them to do what he had been doing. They are following Jesus, for sure, but they're now doing it without his presence around them so because he loves them and cares about them. He pauses to prepare them with very carefully chosen word. I like the way verse 16 begin, I would like to render it, listen up. Pay attention. Look was the next sentence I'm sending you out as she among wolves. This is kind of a reverse strategy. Normally, wolves come into she pins but now is having the sheep leave the pan and go out among the wool was pause and think about the two analogy. First, the sheet their vulnerable their defenseless there easily frightened. They often go astray, and I might as well say they are incredibly stupid before you get to feeling really great as a woolly in the in the flock of God. Remember, your sheet machine.

You'll never go to the circus and see a group of sheep carrying out some performance they don't ever get. The problem is when they spray they become a hot meal for the wolves because wolves never stray. They run in packs for you find one you'll find many like roaches in Houston.

If you've ever lived in Houston you have roaches my mother would never believe that our whole head wrote. They were all over the place will I look like a rodeo room count.

She said no, no, no, we do not have roaches a clean house are we going to get tonight.

Click on the like.

All they would go nowhere roaches go, but they get on site she's in turn the light off their hero Saturday night, but they're not normally you will have roaches you got one will to God. Many wolves got taxable you ever watch the documentary from time to time life below zero, done that, you notice when someone in one of those worldly houses notices a wolf that will often say there's more around. I may see one, but there are more in the circular preblended way back to the analogy wolves are aggressive wolves are vicious wolves or cunning.

There are afraid. In fact, Scripture uses interesting words just before the word wolf savage wolves, ravenous wool wolves are predators. When you walk among wolves are walking in the combat so he says to them, then listen up your sheet.

I know your sheep and I am your defense. I know that you could never on your own take on wolves.

That's why I'm here with you and I give you the power to deal with the wolves. But please remember you are to be as shrewd as another couple of analogy as shrewd as snakes and harmless us.

Think about that one thing about a snake pretty clever, very patient everywhere cautious, discerning, smart, you may look like a sheep but you need to think like a snake. Be discerning, stay smart, don't be gullible eyes wide open, shrewd as serpents. But if that's all there is to it. You will become ugly, argumentative belligerence, stubborn, so he says here to be harmless as doves. Gentle like disarmingly powerful weapons when dealing with wolves, one that is written.

It is neither wise nor brave to be abrasive course retaliatory inconsiderate or blunt verbal abuse is still abuse stay gentle in your tone gracious in your response disarmingly. Why all of this is a part of equipping these 12 face the real world, alert, smart in touch.

Cautious, discerning and yet at the same time, without guile, and I must mention one symbol that the Dove often illustrate security.

This isn't just for the man, but because I am a man I exhort us men to be sure appreciate the words of one keen thinking writer, man, if we are Christians, it is imperative that we live pure, godly lives in the midst of our Corinthian porno Utopian culture claims the word porno Utopian. We must live above the horrifying statistics or the church will become increasingly irrelevant and powerless and our children will leave it the church can have no power apart from Puritan listeners, words, men the heat of our culture oppresses us with its obsessions and porno Tobia's many in the church and wilted. The statistics tell it all in order not to become part of those statistics, there has to be some disciplined sweat or remit enough.

Are we men of God. I pray we are, writes Kent Hughes in disciplines of a godly man was words are limited to men. You ladies need similar exhortation purity is a part of our marching orders were to be dove like an snake like they balance each other out at the heart and core of Jesus words is the all-important value of inner character. You and I as believers live among wolves. We live among them, and they are growing in number. Their savagery is making more and more of the headlines. Be aware at the same time. Don't be afraid of warnings that follow or for you to read and analyze. I haven't the time to do much in depth. I will simply give the overview first.

You can expect as he speaks to his apostles. Religious persecution look at this, you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogue and you didn't misread it. This is religious persecution.

When you encounter fellow Jews and they are all Jews. These disciples when you encounter fellow Jews, they will hate you because of me.

You may not know it but Tom even under Roman rulers. Jews were often allowed to settle most disputes among themselves and often they were settled in the synagogue. Jews had the right under Roman authority and approval to try, convict and punish that would be flogged with whips as we we hear fellow Jews in their own religious courts, a Jew accused of breaking the Mosaic law or a rabbinic tradition would be brought before a tribunal of judges who decided the verdict determined the sentence or punishment.

And that would be meted out by those in the synagogue in New Testament times.

The scourge usually consisted of 39 license with a whip one judge would callout the sentence.

One would announce the punishment one or more would do the scourging and the others would count the lashes he's telling him that's what you face. I would imagine they were as quiet as you are right now. Shocking information, but designed to prepare them so they won't be surprised religious persecution.

Why is assortment harmless as doves.

Relevant stuff isn't it.

When you read of those who are at the point of the knives and spears and bombs of the terrorists, they are often punished because they follow Christ's. I can't think of a season when persecution seemed more prevalent. Christians are sensing growing opposition from those in authority only here in our country but all around the world as well. This is insight for living.

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Even the unsavory passages with one were looking at today. This morning from Jesus, though presented 2000 years ago has immediate application for our times and to help you apply these principles to your daily life. You be glad to know Chuck wrote a helpful commentary on this first book of the New Testament. In fact, because of its depth.

The commentary for Matthew comes in two volumes. This is in a stereotypical commentary sometimes feels dry academic the format of Swindoll's living insights commentary on Matthew was clear and easy to navigate and it's integrated with articles, practical application, and a variety of helpful pictures. So whether you're a serious student of the Bible or you're just beginning to learn what it means to follow Jesus.

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We invite you to participate financially give a donation today, listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online and insight.or when he called us sheep among wolves will listen Wednesday to hear the answer insight for living with Chuck Swindoll the preceding message sheep among wolves what to expect, was copyrighted in 2016 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited