Matthew 10:16 says, Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves. Jesus told His disciples that He was sending them forth as sheep among wolves, so if someone calls us a sheep today as followers of Christ, we should not see that as an insult. I believe that Jesus meant that we are to be wise to the ways of the world, but that we are not to let that make us want to do harm to anyone. Verse seventeen adds, But beware of men: for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues; Jesus did not tell the disciples to expect material wealth and happiness based on their worldly status, but to beware of the people of the world who would deliver them up councils, or worldly authorities, and synagogues, or religious authorities. I often hear people say that Jesus wants me to be happy and have what I want in the world, but I do not find this in the Bible. We are still His disciples and are no better than the first disciples. Verse eighteen continues, And ye shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles. Jesus said that they would be brought before governors and kings for His sake. We may speak about how bad things are for Christians today, but in America, we still have not experienced real persecution like the first disciples and many Christians do in other parts of the world today. Verse nineteen declares, But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. Jesus did not say if they were delivered up, but when they were. They were not to be concerned what to say, because what they said would be delivered to them. The first disciples did not proclaim God's word by their own abilities, but by the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit, and we must rely on the Holy Spirit to give us the words to say today. Verse twenty adds, For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you. When we speak in the world today as Christians, do we speak under the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit? I believe that if we do that what we say will always point people to Christ and bring honor to God. Verse twenty-one proclaims, And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child: and the children shall rise up against their parents, and cause them to be put to death. Jesus said that families would be divided because of the relationship with Him or the lack thereof. Faith in Christ should separate us from the rest of the world, and sometimes it effects our relationship even with our closest family members. Verse twenty-two adds, And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. Once more, Jesus did not tell the disciples that they might be hated by the people of the world, but that they would be. Jesus also promised that those that endured to the end would be saved. I believe that if we have truly accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord that we will endure whatever the world throws at us through the power of the Holy Spirit. Verse twenty-three says, But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. Jesus told the disciples that if they were persecuted in one city to flee to another and that they would not have gone over the cities of Israel before the Son of man had come. At this point, the disciples still did not realize Who Jesus really was and the the Son of man, the Messiah, had already come. Verse twenty-four declares, The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord. If we preach a prosperity gospel, we are saying that we are more important to God than Jesus is, and if we are Christians, then He is our Master. Verse twenty-five adds, It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household? The disciple should never be above the Master, but we should not follow the leadership of the worldly master, but of the heavenly One, Who is Jesus Christ. Verse twenty-six declares, Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. Jesus told the disciples then and tells us today as His disciples that we are not to fear the powers of the world, and that nothing can ever be hidden from God. It is not enough to just claim to be a Christian, but we must truly put our faith in Christ no matter what. Verse twenty-seven adds, What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. Jesus told the disciple that what He was teaching was in darkness, or not yet revealed to the whole world, but that they were to listen to Him and then proclaim the gospel from the rooftops. What they were to preach was to be given to them by the Holy Spirit I believe. Verse twenty-eight concludes, And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Jesus once again told the disciples not to fear those who could only destroy the body, but to fear those who could destroy the body and soul. As Christians, we should never be afraid of the powers of the world as long as we are following the leadership of the Holy Spirit and are living under His power. God does not call us to be fearful Christians.
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