1. WE MUST PROTECT OURSELVES
• VS 16
• We have been sent out by Jesus to proclaim the kingdom of God
• In doing that we are exposed to the fiery darts of Satan
• Unless the sheep are protected by the Shepherd in the midst of the wolves they will be devoured
• How do we protect ourselves in the midst of these ‘wolves’?
a. Put on the WHOLE Armor of God (Ephesians 6:11) “Put on the WHOLE armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Wiles: A trick or stratagem practiced for ensnaring or deception; a sly, insidious sacrifice.)
b. Learn the Word of God (Matthew 7:15) “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.”
i. We must ‘Test the Spirit’s’ that guide us (I John 4:1) “BELOVED, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
ii. (II Timothy 2:15) “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
• By doing these things we can ensure that we may be protected in the midst of the wolves
• Why would Jesus tell us to be ‘wise as serpents’?
• Serpents move with little vision, they must go on instinct and smell
• Every move that a serpent makes is calculated and cautious (Ephesians 5:15) “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise.” Circumspectly is a word meaning “with caution and habitual regard to what is God’s will”
• Doves are symbols of love and peace; often used in the Bible to illustrate God’s pleasure in man
• Whatsoever we do, we must do with the love of God in our hearts
2. WE WILL SUFFER PERSECUTION IN OUR SERVICE
• VS 17-18
• This suffering comes for proclaiming the name of Christ to the world
• Jesus told the disciples that they would suffer not only in the court of public opinion but in actual court’s as well
• Our country stands today in the midst of the “Separation of Church and State” battle almost daily
• What started out as an argument over PRAYER IN SCHOOL has turned into an argument over the 10 commandments (In school and public areas), the inscriptions on our money, the words to our pledge etc..
• We should not be surprised that these battles are raging because Jesus told us they would
• John 15:18 “If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.”
• Luke 6:22 “Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake.”
• The battle between God, his people and the world is raging every day in our nation
• Why? For people doing as verse 16 describes
3. WE HAVE NO EXCUSE WHEN FACING THE WORLD (VS 19-20)
• The Holy Spirit will be our guide
• Moses tried to play dumb with God when he was commanded to lead Israel out of Egypt
• Exodus 4:10-12 “And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” “And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? Or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Have not I the LORD?” “Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”
• God will give us what needs to be said in the midst of battle
• We must be
a. Prayed Up
b. Studied Up
c. Open to His Will
• Jesus said in verse 20 that it is the ‘Spirit of the Father’ that gives us the speech, we must be spiritually mature enough to realize that
• I Corinthians 10:13 “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”
• The provision for our time in peril has already been made, all we have to do is trust in God and believe that he will guide and protect us
4. WE MUST ENDURE (VS 21-23)
• VS 21 Jesus is describing the end time; a time when people will get so involved with self that even family will no longer matter
• This is the reason for preaching the gospel of the kingdom; because the end is near
• Parents abusing children, children abusing parents, siblings killing each other over inheritance’s etc. are rising on an alarming scale
• While searching a popular internet web site for statistics on Domestic Violence there were over 2.3 million sites related to this topic
• A sure picture that verse 21 has become reality in our world
• VS 22 ‘He who endures shall be saved’
• This verse doesn’t exactly elude to ‘physical’ saving but spiritual in that whosoever shall stand with Jesus shall be spared
• Matthew 10:33 “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
• We can not be afraid, no matter what the circumstances, to tell people about the love of God
• II Thessalonians 1:4 “So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of god for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure:”
• We must ‘endure till the end’ so that we may reach every possible person in the proclaiming of the kingdom of God!
