10-Sheep Among Wolves
3/27/11
Intro:
I.TRYING TO WATCH BASKETBALL IN CANADA—ONLY HOCKEY AND CURLING
II.Matthew 10:17-30
I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
III.THE TOTEM POLES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
A.Ojibwe word odoodem “Kinship Group”, not objects of worship
B.Told the stories of clan history, culture, and shared characteristics
(i.e. Bear—protection; Whale—provision; Falcon—leadership; Beaver—determination; Otter—playfulness; Frog—adaptability)
Body:
I.The Vulnerability of a Sheep (Matthew 10:17-18)
“Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles.”
A.Spiritual warfare is easy compared to dealing with the human factor
1)TELLING YOLANDA—“KIDS CAN BE MEAN”
2)2000 US Census figures state more than 60% of all US children are from divorced homes& 72% of homes harbor someone with addictions.
3)Matthew 9:36
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
B.Whenever we step out for the Lord, we should expect opposition
1)BOAZ HISSING AT ME THE WHOLE TIME
2)Matthew 10:24-25
“A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master . . . If the head of the house has been called Beelzebub, how much more the members of his household!”
3)JESUS HEALING THE MAN WHO WAS MUTE
II.The Wisdom of a Serpent (Matthew 10:19-20)
“But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.”
A.We all have a choice to whose voice we will listen
1)Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
2)She knew perfectly well what the Lord had said
3)PEOPLE WHO KNOW RIGHT FROM WRONG
B.We need wisdom if we are going to be ready for life’s challenges
1)Wisdom (phronimos) gets you ready for the challenges to come:
a)The wise builder puts his house on the rock (Matt 7:24)
b)The wise servant gets his household in order (Matt 24:45)
c)The wise maidens keep oil in their lamps (Matt 25:2)
2)John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
3)SOLOMAN ASKING FOR AN UNDERSTANDING HEART
III.The Innocence of a Dove (Matthew 10:21-22)
“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.”
A.Our most difficult battle is keeping out hearts pure
1)Doves were always mentioned in connection with sacrifice
2)Grk (akeraios) unmixed, unspoiled, incorrupt, morally intact
3)Romans 16:19-20
But I want you to be wise [in] what is good, and innocent [in] what is evil. The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.
4)EUGENES SLEDGE IN THE PACIFIC, “THEIR SOULS TORN OUT”
a)Stove pipe boy (morterman) at Peleliu and Okinawa
b)Father found him crying over a wounded dove
B.It is far too easy to make it to heaven, but lose your “spark” on the way
1)TAKING A PERSONALITY TEST AND COMING OUT “MELENCHOLY”
2)PREPARING THE PEOPLE FOR RETURN FROM BABYLON
“God prepares all for heaven whom he has prepared heaven for.”
Matthew Henry
3)Ezekiel 11:19
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.