Pensamientos para hoy (afterthought for today)
Sheep Among Wolves
On Saturday, March 31st our church will be going door to door to tell the people of our community about our Easter Services. This reminds me of an incident that happened several years ago while I was going door to door distributing Gospel literature. As I came up to one house I was attacked by a dog. I was bitten in the hand and leg and had to go to the hospital emergency room. I still have scars on my hand and leg and will never forget that frightening experience. Now when I go door to door I am more aware of my surroundings. Similarly when my wife and I did door-to-door literature distribution while working as summer missionaries in Japan, we encountered dogs that were tied up near the front door. A few times it seemed as if the dogs waited in the shadows until we were within reach and then they would lunge out at us. You may not have been attacked by an angry dog when trying to share the love of God, but perhaps you have been on the receiving end of a similar angry response. Jesus told his followers that when they go out to witness and share the good news:Whatever town or village you enter, search for some worthy person there and stay at his house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town. . . I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. 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. 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 (Matthew 10:11-20).1Jesus tells us to be aware of the potential reactions people may have to our efforts to share the good news with them. He says, "I am sending you out like sheep among wolves", but Jesus never tells us not to go. He says that when we go we must be "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves". In a few days many of us will be going door-to-door in Teaneck to tell our neighbors about our Easter services. Some of us will have Gospel literature to hand out and some of us may have opportunities to share our faith. As we go, let's remember that we can go in the confidence that God will be with us, and when we have opportunities to speak, it will be God himself who is speaking through us. I hope that you can join us Saturday, March 31st as we follow in the footsteps of Jesus and his disciples to take the good news to a world that desperately needs a Savior. Ready to go wherever and whenever, Pastor Steve March 15, 2007
Footnotes
1Matthew 10:11-20, NIV (New International Version). Unless otherwise noted all references to the Bible are from the NIV.
(more afterthoughts)
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