#1255 Matthew 10 Part 3 Mutton Shawarma

 

16 “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. 17 Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, 18 and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. 19 When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 20 For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you. 21 Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, 22 and you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. 23 When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

24 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25 It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household. Matthew 10: 16-25

Matthew 10: 16-25

…10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets before you.… Matthew 5: 10-12

I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves - Looking at most the "pastors" I see today, this was not the "call" they received to go into the ministry, otherwise they would have turned it down. They seemed to picture a made for tv movie where the good guys are loved and always win, and of course they saw themselves as the good guys. They had experienced an emotional high once at church or camp, were touched by a missionary's story about being there as people were coming to Christ, and they thought, yea, I like feel good moments, I can talk and make people like me and laugh at my jokes. Some today go so far as to say, yes, I will come pastor your church, but with these conditions:

1. I need 125,000 a year salary
2. I need 6 weeks of vacation.
3. I need a secretary.
4. I need an assistant pastor and a youth pastor, because I can't always be bothered. 
5. I need my own parking place and a company car to put in it, I prefer BMW or Mercedes Benz, but am willing to get by with an American car if it is considered a luxury vehicle. 

Instead, Jesus sends His guys out telling them they are sheep, a prey animal, and not even a well equipped prey animal. They can run, but not fast, they can't fight very well, and they are totally dependent upon the shepherd. Now He is saying this to men, so when He says wolves He is also talking about men. These human predators are far more savage and cunning than a real wolf, they even pretend to be sheep, and there is one, Judas, in their midst even now, unbeknownst to them. Christ is preparing not only them, but we will see that this is projected over a long period of time, even to the end of the age. 

…28Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. 29I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number, men will rise up and distort the truth to draw away disciples after them.… Acts 20: 28-30

So be wise as serpents - Jesus tells them to use discernment, don't fall for everything, don't take people strictly at their word, evaluate, test the spirits to see if they be of God. Be like the noble Bereans. In our day it is not popular to evaluate what people say, to hold it up to the litmus test of Scripture. Everyone is tripping over themselves to water down the scriptures so much that everyone fits in their ark, only it's another gospel, it's another Christ. 

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you will know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and which is already in the world at this time.… 1 John 4: 1-3

10As soon as night had fallen, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Bereans were more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if these teachings were true. 12As a result, many of them believed, along with quite a few prominent Greek women and men.… Acts 17: 10-12

Innocent as doves - You are going to be accused of all manner of evil, but make sure it is not true about you, be men of character. 

1This is a trustworthy saying: If anyone aspires to be an overseer, he desires a noble task. 2An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money.… 1 Timothy 3: 1-3

Beware of men - This will take on both the immediate and future prophetic, extending all the way to those followers of Christ that live even during the time of Jacob's trouble, the Great Tribulation. The disciples really don't experience much persecution on this mission, and they aren't really ready for it yet either. Jesus prepares them with teaching, with instruction, and He is never so far off from them, but warning don't always stick till we meet the glue of experience. Judas will fulfill prophecy when he betrays Jesus, but he will also provide the greatest experience of betrayal the disciples will ever see. It will smash down their own pride, cause them to look deeper into every situation, pray more earnestly before the laying on of hands. "Beware", he tells them. Don't believe in every smile, and for the love of God, don't be taken in by flattery. 

14But small is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life, and only a few find it. 15Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?… Matthew 7: 14-16

Courts and flog you in their synagogues - They will see this happen to Christ. Later this will happen to Paul and others as well. I think all of them are martyred except for John, who is a prisoner on the island of Patmos, and writes Revelation in his old age. 

1“I have told you these things so that you will not fall away. 2They will put you out of the synagogues. In fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God. 3They will do these things because they have not known the Father or Me.… John 16: 1-3

Paul testifies before Agrippa on how he persecuted the Christians before he was born again:

…10And that is what I did in Jerusalem. With authority from the chief priests I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were condemned to death, I cast my vote against them. 11 I frequently had them punished in the synagogues, and I tried to make them blaspheme. In my raging fury against them, I even went to foreign cities to persecute them. 12In this pursuit I was on my way to Damascus with the authority and commission of the chief priests.… Acts 26: 10-12

Paul's testimony as an Apostle to the Gentiles:

…24Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. 25Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked. I spent a night and a day in the open sea. 26In my frequent journeys, I have been in danger from rivers and from bandits, in danger from my countrymen and from the Gentiles, in danger in the city and in the country, in danger on the sea and among false brothers,… 2 Corinthians 11: 24-26

Do not be anxious - He had been teaching them all along, and when the time comes He will bring what is needed to their memories. They need not despair, nor do they need to turn away, just stand, ready to give an account for the hope that is in you.

Spirit of your Father speaking through you - The Spirit will lay the foundation. Everything after will be judged by what these men say.

…3They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. 5Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.… Acts 2: 3-5

…11trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. 13Therefore prepare your minds for action. Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.… 1 Peter 1: 11-13

…20Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation. 21For no such prophecy was ever brought forth by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1: 20-21

…15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.… 2 Timothy 3: 15-17

Brother, father, child - These will often be the ones who betray you. Are you feeling called into the ministry yet? 

And you will be hated by all men for My name's sake - This is why the so called church chooses to preach a different Jesus, and no longer teaches Christ's message of repentance. Jesus give the most honest call, if only we were so honest in our presentation of the gospel today.

But the one who endures to the end will be saved - Perseverance of the Saints

but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved - Do not misinterpret this teaching. Jesus is NOT saying our endurance will merit or earn salvation. What He is saying is that the one who endures to the end will demonstrated by that endurance that he or she is a genuine disciple. A parallel truth is seen in the parable of the sower/soils in Jesus' description of the fourth soil declaring "But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance." (Lk 8:15+). How does a soil prove it is good soil in farming? It bears fruit. How does an individual prove they are good soil in the spiritual sense? They bear fruit. And how do they bear fruit? Just like a farmer does, with perseverance (hupomone, noun related to hupomeno "endured"). And how do we persevere? One way is by continually taking in the Word, including the Old Testament (see Ro 15:4+ where perseverance = hupomone). The ultimate way we persevere is because God gives us the supernatural power to persevere (Ro 15:5+). His Spirit within us gives us the desire (to persevere) and the power (to persevere) which is pleasing to Him (Php 2:13NLT+). - Precept Austin

The Son of Man comes - Christ's second coming.

…15And from His mouth proceeds a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16And He has a name written on His robe and on His thigh: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 17Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out in a loud voice to all the birds flying overhead, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God,… Revelation 19: 15-17

A disciple is not above his teacher - He is telling them as He will plainly again, that if they hate Him then they will hate them as well. This is unacceptable in modern evangelical circles. They want the love of family, friends and the world, and will gain it at the cost of the gospel, in the end helping no one.

…7which is not even a gospel. Evidently some people are troubling you and trying to distort the gospel of Christ. 8But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be under a curse! 9As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be under a curse!… Galatians 1: 7-9