¹⁶ “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. ¹⁸ On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. ¹⁹ 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, ²⁰ for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

²¹ “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child; children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. ²² You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ²³ When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.

The Precious Few

So, Jesus, you are sending us out like sheep among wolves?  I experienced that kind of opposition in Britain and Pakistan, but I have not yet experienced it here.  The worst I have had it in the United States is the odd person thinking that I am arrogant because I assert that I know truth.  It is ironic to me that they don’t see they think they know the truth about my arrogance.  We all assert some kind of truth, but in today’s society the Christian truth is much maligned.  The lie prevails that Christian truth is the oppressive belief of the majority.  However, a truly Christian oriented worldview is held by precious few.  I wish that we would speak out more as a people, but it seems that we are trying desperately to fit in.  How can we have so much activity and have so little impact?  I am not sitting idle but as I move around each day I meet precious few people who would disagree with my basic presuppositions in life.

I pray that North American Christians, especially those that I know, would speak out on issues with a different perspective than those around them.  I want, Jesus, for you to inform Christian thinking in all of those that I have taught at Moody and in churches.  I want you to come to mind each moment of every day and then for us to speak our minds.  Is the Christian Mind really dead?  Do we have nothing to say?

Questions

1. What would the apostles experience as they brought Jesus’ message?
2. What do you think the entire content of Jesus’ message is?
3. How was the apostles’ message more holistic than our ‘get ’em saved’ reduction?
4. Why do you experience the level of opposition that you do?
5. Where could you become more of a lightning rod?