The Balanced Preparation

0:00 If you guys have your Bibles, we're gonna get right into it. Matthew chapter 10, verse 16 is where we're gonna be. Matthew chapter 10, verse 16. We're looking at a message entitled, The Balanced Preparation. The Balanced Preparation. Now, as you read through the Gospels, it becomes evident that Jesus was always seeking to prepare his disciples for what was ahead. He would do this in a variety of ways, sometimes putting them intentionally in to what would seem like impossible situations, only to deepen their dependency upon him. There were other times where he would speak to them simply and clearly what the future was going to hold. However, we know that much of what Jesus would say to them then wouldn't really make much sense until the Holy Spirit would come and help them connect the dots. One of the most common ways that Jesus would prepare his disciples was to ensure that they wouldn't be surprised when it came to the lost world that they were sent to reach, that the world would be diametrically opposed to them, would be against them.

1:15 He never wanted them to be caught off guard or surprised when life was challenging. He wanted them to understand that it was supposed to be this way, but that in him they could have joy and peace unlimited. Now over time, Peter came to understand this very well and even experientially. And he would say this, 1 Peter 4.12, he finally got the lesson. And he would say this, Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial, which is to try you as though some strange thing happen to you. That first word strange, it means to be emotionally impacted. Peter said, hey, when life hits, when the trial comes against you, when the world hates you, don't be emotionally impacted. Don't think it's strange. This is what Jesus taught us, and this is how it's supposed to be. Well, as we study a very famous but underutilized verse today, we will find Jesus giving his disciples a balanced preparation so that they would not only expect opposition in this world, but also know how to conduct themselves in it with balance. While they would be sent out truly as sheep among wolves, they were to strike the balance of being wise as serpents and harmless as doves. You know, much of the Christian life really is about balance. The balance between speaking the truth but doing it in love. The balance between being confident and yet dependent. The balance between working hard and resting well.

3:03 The balance between enjoying our Christian liberty but not doing it in a way that would stumble our brother. You know you and I were just kind of prone to veer hard way or another. You and I because of our sin nature have trouble with balance. It's often hard for us to find the middle ground between the truths of God's word. We are to avoid, though, unhealthy extremes. There can be ditches on both sides. You know, God had told Joshua in Joshua chapter 1 to observe to do according to all the law and to not turn to the right hand or to the left so that he might prosper wherever he would go. And I like that picture. Don't turn to the right or left. You see, the way that you and I prosper is to live a well-balanced life down the path that God has prepared for us. And Jesus truly had this balance down to a T. He acted with incredible wisdom and yet perfect purity. He was able to go toe-to-toe with anyone and yet would stoop down to touch the untouchable.

4:15 John 1.14 says, And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory, as of the only begotten of the Father. Notice Jesus is full of grace and truth. He was gracious and yet strong in truth. I mean, think about it. There are times where Jesus literally would make a whip and he would go in for the sake of truth to his father's temple and turntables. And yet there are other times where he would rebuke the disciples for forbidding the little children because he wanted to come and bless them. We must look to Jesus's words and also his example of how to strike this balance when it comes to living in a world of hostility. And so with that, why don't you stand with me for the reading of God's word.

5:07 I promise you won't stand long because we're only looking at one verse. Matthew 10, 16. I will read this to you and we will pray together. And we will see what God has for us this morning. Matthew chapter 10, starting and ending in verse 16. This is the word of God. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. Fathers, we come before you this morning trusting that you are the teacher because your word is opened. Father, we pray that you would prepare us for what is ahead. That you would grant us this biblical balance of wisdom and yet purity. We confess our inability to live this life without you.

6:07 We agree with the words of Jesus that said, without me you can do nothing. Lord we pray that you would fortify our faith Lord we don't know what tomorrow holds but we're so grateful that we know the one that holds tomorrow and so Father would you not only prepare our spirits Lord but teach us Lord you said these words to your disciples for a reason they were going to need it and God we need it Lord we don't want to live in the unhealthy extreme of one way or another. Teach us to be like Jesus this morning, we pray. And in Jesus' name we pray. All God's people said? Amen. You may be seated. Now a little bit of background and context on Matthew 10, 16. Again, famous verse, but often underutilized. Chapter 9 ended with Jesus telling his disciples that while the harvest is plentiful, the laborers are few. And they were to pray to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest. And then you find the beginning of chapter 10. And if you look there in your own Bibles, you'll find that Jesus calls the 12 disciples to himself to make them his apostles, which means to be sent out. They were going to be the sent out ones, and he was going to fulfill that prayer. They were going to be the ones that he would send out into that harvest. And he sends them out here in chapter 10 with the message of the kingdom and with power from heaven. He tells them that this is not something that they are to charge for. He says freely you have received and so freely give. He assures them of his provision for the mission and he gives them instruction on what they should do if someone receives or rejects his message. Rejection was not in any way to slow them down. He tells them to simply shake the dust off their feet and keep on going. And so after their calling and commissioning, Jesus brings

8:16 them in close to highlight the reality of the situation, because while they were excited, they needed to be prepared. They needed the balance of what he's going to say for them to fulfill all that he would call them to do. And this is where verse 16 comes into full effect. Now, directly after verse 16, you'll notice that Jesus's warning increases with intensity as he tells them what the future is going to hold, which is that they're going to be brought before political and religious leaders, and they are going to be physically persecuted on his behalf. But he assures them that in those moments that they stand before men of authority, that the Holy Spirit of God would give them the words they would need. Jesus even warns them that it will even be family members who will turn on them and they will be hated for his sake. But he gives them the promise that if or really as they endure to the end, they will be saved. Not that the enduring would save them, but would really be the evidence that they were always his. You see, the contents recorded in this chapter, they first and foremost apply to Jesus speaking directly to the 12 apostles. But I believe that this same counsel would be unchanged today. That these words hold true through the generations and all those who would seek to be used by God, this wisdom is certain. And so while the exact parameters of the situation that we're reading are different, the principles remain the same. The timeless truths contained in this single verse will prove powerful to prepare us to live a balanced life in a hostile world. You ready to go? Number one, I want you to note down in your note-taking, we find in this verse the delegation. And it's this, the fact that Jesus has sent us personally, the delegation that we're sent personally. He says,

10:22 behold, I send you out. Right in the middle of this commissioning speech, Jesus uses a word and he says, behold. Now he was already talking to them. He already had them in this conversation, but he uses this word behold. It means to look with amazement. It's a marker that's used to liven up a narrative and to emphasize an idea. Jesus is saying, really pay attention here. If you haven't been getting it yet, try this out for size. He stops them from just listening, and he wants them to zero in on this and truly hear what he's saying. Really, if you're taking notes, verse 16 in the context of chapter 10 seems to be the summary statement of everything behind it and in front of it. This verse really comprises all that Jesus was communicating to them, which is why he wants them to pay extra special attention.

11:23 He wants them to lean in, lock in, that they might catch every word. And so what does Jesus want them to see? Well, first he wants them to see that he is the one sending them. Now, it's a simple truth, would be easy to overlook. Wouldn't this have been something they already knew? Jesus already told them that they're the apostles. They are the ones that he is sending out. He's already been prepping them for the journey ahead. You see, while this was not something new, he really wanted them to understand all that went with this. Meaning it was not just a truth to know, it was a truth to experience. That if they really understood who it was who sent them, then there would be no need to fear any man or anything. Worry would not be necessary.

12:16 Because listen, when Jesus sends someone, they are always sent with his presence to go before them. This is a biblical truth found all over. Deuteronomy 31 verse 8 says, And the Lord, he is the one who goes before you. He will be with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you. Do not fear nor be dismayed. See, what Jesus is about to tell them is terrifying unless they were rooted in the promise of his presence. And so Jesus says, I send you out. Or it is I who send you out. He is emphasizing the personal nature of his delegation. And he uses this word, and they would have been familiar with it because it's the Greek word apostello. It's where we get the idea of an apostle.

13:10 he says I send you out I apostle you he is confirming the call send you out it means to dispatch or to send away towards a designated goal or purpose the idea of this word is to send as a representative or to commission someone on your behalf the verb actually implies the way that it's presented, Jesus is implying, and he's saying this, I cannot send you out and abandon you along the way. The personal nature of Jesus's mission towards us is really not only that he won't abandon us, but that really it's Jesus who is the one that will do it through them. They are simply the representative. They are simply the one who goes. And really, this is what Jesus does, and he's not done doing it. He is a sender. He could do it himself, fully capable. He doesn't need anything from the disciples, and really he doesn't need anything from us, and yet he chose to use them, chose to give them a purpose. But they must always come back to the fact that it is him through them.

14:26 And they needed this reminder because what they were about to be sent into on face value was an impossibly desperate situation. But if it was in fact Jesus who would do the sending, then failure was off the table. I pray that as I'm teaching this and sharing this, that dots are beginning to connect for you, because the same is true with us. He does not need us to accomplish his work, and yet he calls for us to go for him, to be sent on his behalf. It's the age-old question that Isaiah overheard in the throne room, who will go for us? In John chapter 20, after his resurrection, we find this sending yet again. Jesus is very gracious. And so there are multiple times where Jesus would affirm, hey, go. I'm sending you. This would not be the last. John 20, 21 says, So Jesus said to them, peace to you.

15:28 As the Father has sent me, I also send you. This is what Jesus does. He saves someone and then he sends them. This is his model. It's very simple. And if you have answered the call to his salvation, then it is time for you to answer the call of his sending. And just because he's sending you, it doesn't mean that you necessarily go a different direction, but it certainly means a different mindset. What does he send us to do? Well, the mission hasn't changed. You know this. You know the mission has not changed for 2,000 years. That in Matthew 28, when he told these exact disciples, and he said, go and make disciples, go into all nations and make disciples, that mission remains true. And the promise of his presence remains true as well.

16:25 He ends that section, Matthew 28, lo or behold, it's the same word, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. And so really the question is, what are you waiting for? If he has saved you, then you have a call upon your life. And he will be with us every step of the way. and so are you living mission-minded? I mean let's just be honest with yourself. Do you see yourself as having been sent by Jesus Christ himself? If you're saved then you better believe you're sent. The question is are you on the sidelines? Are you on the bench? No more excuses. He sent you. He sent me and his promise to go with us remains true and so what he calls you to do answer the call. This is what he does. Matthew Henry, Bible commentator, said this, they are as sheep among wolves, that is frightful. But Christ sends them forth, that is comfortable. For he sends them forth, for he that sends them forth will protect them and bear them out, but that they might know the worst, he tells them particularly what they must expect. Which brings us to point number two, which is where we find the conditions. He not only affirms his call upon their life, and maybe for some of you this morning, God has brought you to this place, or maybe this is just your weekly routine, and it's a good one, and you even didn't let that hour that you lost hold you back. You're here, and maybe God would be stirring you. There's something in your life that you know he's calling you to do and you have been hesitating well Jesus I believe is present here today to remind you that he's with you and the message hasn't changed go do what I said thankfully though he uh he's not like a salesman no offense to many great salesmen out there I'm sure but you know the ones that knock on your door at your house selling you something that you do not need trying to

18:36 convince you that you need it. And they always say the positives, but not the side effects, not the cons. Jesus is very upfront. He's very upfront with his call. He doesn't give us unrealistic expectations, and he wants to make sure that we know up front. He wants us to count the cost of the mission. And so he wants them to understand that the conditions they're going into are hostile, into hostility. And he uses this phrase as sheep in the midst of wolves. And this is like that tension that we find that even though Jesus is personally sending them out, this does not mean that the road will be easy. While God promises to make our paths straight, he does not promise to make them smooth. Jesus is not sending them into friendly territory. and he makes sure that they know this. He wants them to understand very clearly the type of conditions and environment they are being sent into. Now, because the disciples were sometimes slow of learning, he uses an illustration, and I'm very thankful that he did. He uses the picture of two animals, sheep and wolves. Sheep are the prey and wolves are the predator. Very simple.

19:58 wolves attack sheep they tear them apart and eat them alive that is the reality in luke's gospel we find jesus's words are recorded in this way he takes it even a step further luke 10 3 go your way behold i send you out not just as sheep among wolves but as lambs baby sheep you think sheep are vulnerable. Well, he goes even further. Baby sheep are even more vulnerable. Jesus is telling them that they are going into extreme, an extreme hostile environment where they will be met with serious and sometimes and oftentimes for them, serious deadly resistance. Now listen, something like this is very helpful to know ahead of time. I don't know how you feel about surprises. I like surprises when it comes to someone giving me a gift. That's great. But surprises can become very disorienting when it comes to the trials of this life. This is why any legitimate sports team will study the team they're going to go up against so that they know the type of conditions they're going to face once they're in the game. They don't want any surprises. They don't want to be caught off guard. And so they do what's needed to prepare so that they're ready in advance. Well, there are many well-intentioned believers who can become disillusioned and disoriented when the trials and tribulations of this life hit. Some will get hyper-fixated on the question of why. Why is this happening to them? But the scriptures indicate that if you are living a life on mission, this is to be expected. Trials are especially hard when you don't expect them. And when you are someone who is stepping into your call upon your life and you're involved in ministry in any way, shape, or form that your life is about serving the king, then you better know you have a target on your back. You know, we try to warn our people who are interested in serving in high school ministry when

22:07 we have our interviews and it's a lengthy process. And we try to warn them up front. Hey, yeah, high school is awesome. It's fun. We go to camp. We do all these things. It's a blast. But know that if you sign up for this, you are putting a greater target on your back. And we try to warn, and there's times where leaders come in and they just get hammered. Spiritual life just starts hitting. And we try to warn them in advance so that they're not surprised when this happens. And listen, that's true of all kinds of ministry. Thankfully though, and this is what we tell them as well, you don't need to be scared, but he who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. But we must not be caught off guard. Jesus taught his disciples that if the world hates him, then it will hate them too. But the reason he says that is because he wants them to know the source of the hostility is not because of them. It's because of him. And so you, and again, I don't know the dynamics of your life or the scenarios, but sometimes we begin asking the question why, and Jesus says, I told you it was going to be like this.

23:13 And we say, what did I do wrong? And Jesus says, nothing. It's not about you. You just represent me. And so actually, the proof of the resistance, the evidence of the resistance is proof that you're following me. We can often wonder what we did wrong when Jesus tells us that it all has to do with him. 1 John 3, 13, very simple. Do not marvel, my brethren, if the world hates you. Don't be surprised. Don't be surprised. Why? Well, because Jesus warns us up front that he is sending us in the midst of wolves, sheep in the midst of wolves. You know down this word, the midst, it is the Greek word mesos, and it means among, in the middle of. Literally, the picture is to be surrounded by. Jesus uses this word to describe the inescapable nature of being surrounded by enemies. This is the world you and I live in. C.S. Lewis coined the term that as believers, you and I are living in enemy-occupied territory. And in a single verse, Jesus uses actually four animals to illustrate this truth. The first two, sheep and wolves. Let's look at the first one.

24:33 We know all throughout scripture that God has referred to his people as sheep, which I don't know if you know, while little lambs are very cute, this is not the most endearing of terms, but it's certainly accurate. The Bible paints a vivid picture that we are the sheep of his pasture and he is the good shepherd. And really, as you get to know yourself and I get to know myself, out of all the animals that God could have picked to illustrate his people, sheep really are the most fitting. And it's not just because they're cute. You see, sheep can't survive very long without a shepherd to care for them. Without close watch of a shepherd, a sheep will do things like eat poisonous weeds without thinking twice. They are very susceptible to infections and disease and so they need to be cared for and inspected by the shepherd often. Flies buzzing around their eyes and their ears have been known to irritate and frighten sheep to the point that some have knocked their head against rocks all the way till death because they're so irritated or afraid.

25:44 When they do feel like they're in danger, they run. But I don't know if you've ever seen a sheep. God has not made that animal to run very quick. And then when sheep do fall, it is borderline, depending on their size, impossible for them to get themselves back up. Yet the sheep's greatest danger actually always remains wolves. In ancient days, it was the shepherd's greatest challenge to keep the wolves from the sheep. A sheep in the midst of a pack of wolves had no chance. And Jesus refers to them as sheep for this purpose, for them to recognize their own vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and their dire need that though they were sent, they must stay close to the shepherd. See, you and I might be described as defenseless sheep. So if you don't know, they don't have very sharp teeth.

26:38 They don't have claws. yet you and I have a good shepherd who provides and protects us. Note down 1 Peter 2.25 along with Hebrews 13.20 For you were like sheep going astray but now you've returned to the shepherd, I love this, an overseer of your souls. And Hebrews 13.20 says Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Do you know what a sheep is without a shepherd? A goner. But thankfully, thankfully, you and I have a great shepherd of the sheep to watch over our souls. But we are sheep, Jesus says, in the midst of wolves. Wolves. I want you to think about that. That is plural. I mean, not just one, but a pack of wolves.

27:32 You know, every time the Bible mentions wolves, it's always in a negative light. Jesus spoke about false prophets being like ravenous wolves who would come, remember, in sheep's clothing. Paul spoke about false teachers being like savage wolves who would come in, not sparing the flock. But notice what's different here. The wolves were not coming to the sheep. The sheep were sent into the pack of wolves. This is beyond unnatural. Jesus is using an illustration that in the ancient mind would have been strikingly odd. What do you mean? No shepherd would send their sheep in the midst of wolves. They were always trying to protect the wolves from the sheep. It was almost as if the sheep were the attacking party to the wolves. See, this isn't the safe route.

28:30 But this is the right one. You and I can go forward with confidence in what God's called us to do, knowing that while we don't have what it takes in and of ourselves, the Bible tells us that you and I in Jesus are more than conquerors. Romans chapter 8, verse 36 and 37 says, As it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. yet in all these things these things we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us you know how awesome that phrase is he could have just said you're a conqueror in Christ no no Paul says that's not enough you are more than a conqueror more than a victor that there that while you might be slaughtered all day and maybe in life life is hitting you wherever you go you're representing Jesus and you just feel like you're getting hit left and right you just might be in the right place. But in Jesus, whatever trial, whatever tribulation, whatever result comes from living in a hostile world against your faith, against my faith, we in Jesus, at the end of the day, even in the face of death, Jesus says you are more than a conqueror. That is awesome.

29:46 See, God will intentionally put us into situations that seem impossible. you know this he will send you into an environment that on the surface makes it look like there is no path of victory and maybe in this life there are actually no appearance of victory you know that God loves beating the odds and he loves doing it because he gets all the glory you see this all over scripture even with the 12 disciples he didn't pick 12 of the choicest men to turn the world upside down. I think of Gideon. Gideon, your army is too big. No, no, this is a big army, Midianites, no joke. No, we need to dwindle it down a little bit more. Eventually it gets down, you know the story, to 300 men. Why? So that when they were victorious, which they were, God would get all the glory. So do not be surprised. Do not ask the question what you did wrong when you're in a situation that seems impossible, that seems hostile. You see, regardless of the terrible nature of the wolves, the sheep are to obey the shepherd and not allow any environment to persuade them to retreat. The conditions can never factor in to our obedience. It doesn't look good. Looks challenging. That's where I'm getting. I stepped into ministry and my life's falling apart. You're exactly where you're supposed to be. And the shepherd, the great shepherd of the sheep has your back. Of course, Jesus exampled this in his life. Think about it. He was sent into this world as the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. He endured the world's hostility to the greatest extent, to the point of death, even the death of the cross. It was not the safe path nor the easy one, but he endured and in the end he was ultimately victorious. Why?

31:44 Because he rose from the grave because death, it was not possible that death could hold him. And so you and I must know that the conditions that we've been personally sent into by Jesus are hostile. And by all appearances, it looks like we are the prey, but yet we are never out of reach of the shepherd. And so we must not be surprised when we experience resistance. We must expect it, embrace it, not because we enjoy it, but because we trust the words of Jesus that told us that in him we can have peace and even be of good cheer because he has us in his grip. This brings us now finally, though we're only halfway through, to the application. This is really a build-up to bring us, we have to know it. We have to know, we have to know God's sending upon our life. We have to know the conditions, but we must not miss the application, which really, if we could boil it down into two words would be prudence and purity. This is how the believer is to navigate the waters of this life, is with prudence and with purity. He says, therefore, he said all that he said to come to this point, it is the culmination as wise serpents and harmless doves. And so we've seen the delegation, we've seen the conditions, but we must look at this application. He says, therefore, he's saying, in light of my sending you into this hostile world, here is the needed approach and the necessary application. And so to do this, Jesus, in his brilliant teaching, goes on to list two more animals. That would be, of course, serpents and doves. Now, these two specific instructions, I want you to see up front that they perfectly balance one another. If we only take one,

33:51 then we will veer off the prepared path. And if we only take the second and leave the other, then we'll veer off in the other direction. Both are needed to live the life that Jesus would want us to live in this wild, wild world. So let's look at this first one. He calls us to be wise as serpents. Wise as serpents. Why serpents? Well, serpents or snakes are mentioned about 80 times in the Bible. And out of those 80 times, this is one of the unique, there's a couple others, I'll show you one, but it has a negative connotation. This is one of the unique places where a serpent is actually described in a favorable light. You know, when you and I think about a serpent, we usually think of Satan, the great serpent of old, and we think of Genesis. But let me take you to Genesis, which is the first mention. You know, snake is actually one of the first animals ever specifically mentioned in the Bible.

34:48 Genesis 3, verse 1, we're introduced to a serpent. And it says this, and I want you just to read it, not just what you know, but as if this was the first time you're reading it. Now, the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And we know the story goes on. But if you take this, there's a comparison to all the animals that God created. There was one that was more cunning. Now, that word cunning is usually, it has a negative connotation. I want you to understand that the word cunning here in Genesis 3, though it can be used in a negative light, it means crafty, discerning, sensible. Actually means skillful. It is the word that when you read through the Proverbs and it says, talks about the prudent man, it actually uses that same word, the cunning man.

35:44 It sounds weird because of what we know about the word cunning in English. But the word here in Genesis 3 is that the snake was prudent. Meaning that this was not inherently a negative attribute of the snake. That this was actually a good thing, right? God stepped back. Genesis 3, 1, the fall has not yet happened. And so God was able to step back, including the snake, and say, very good.

36:10 So, of course, in a typical fashion, that is the animal that Satan goes for, to mess up Eve. This is Satan's MO. He takes good things that God's made and twists them and uses them for his evil purposes. And we do see a cunningness to the snake in a negative way. But there is, and according to Jesus here, a positive aspect to prudence, to cunning. Shrewdness is another word that we'll look at. Now, you might not originally or initially think of a snake as wise. I don't necessarily, when I think of snakes, I just think I don't want anything to do with them. I don't think about them as wise. Well, there's a funny story that Pastor Chuck Smith used to tell of a biology professor. He said that he had heard a professor in biology making fun of the knowledge of Christ by pointing out to the class that serpents really weren't wise. And so for Jesus to say, be wise as serpents, was rather dumb and showed that Jesus had very little knowledge of biology.

37:12 Well, in that class, one of the students spoke up and said to the professor, well, how long do you think you would survive without any arms or legs and you had to take care of yourself in the desert? I thought it was great. And if you think about it, snakes are one of the most hated animals and yet they continue to multiply and fill the earth. There is no worry that snakes will go extinct however much we might wish that was the case. Snakes have the ability, if you don't know, to live on every continent and in every part of the world. Snakes are able to function in every sphere, on land, in the sea, in fresh water, and yes, even in the air. There are such things as flying snakes. Now, it's more of a glide, but still, it might give you some nightmares. Now, the point is this, that they have an incredible ability to survive and adapt to just about any environment.

38:11 Snakes are patient. They strike at the perfect moment. they are actually able to catch prey that are way faster than them because they outsmart them. Now if there weren't any wolves, the disciples would have no need for this kind of wisdom. You see the disciples were to be sheep, which if there's no wolves around are very happy and don't need much wisdom because they're dependent on the shepherd. But that does not mean though he sends them out as sheep, it doesn't mean they were to be dumb doormats. They were to be wise serpents. Now there's a handful of words in the Greek that Jesus could have used. He uses a very specific one, and it's a Greek word phronimos, which means wise, but it means practical wisdom. It's to be marked by the exercise of good judgment or common sense in practical matters, having the capacity to understand the daily things of life, prudent, sensible. So there could have been another Greek word that he used, the Greek word Sophia, for example, that more means theoretical wisdom. But he uses this idea of practical wisdom, which is why I think prudence is a great description. Now wisdom was a topic that Jesus would often talk about. He talked about different wise servants. In Luke 16, he uses this same word. There's only two other, or a handful of other times that Jesus uses this word. And in Luke 16, Jesus uses this word, but the English commentators translate it into the word shrewd. You ever heard that word?

39:54 not a word that's often used shrewd shrewdness well in Luke 16 Jesus tells a story of a certain rich man who had a steward and there was an accusation that came against this steward that he was wasting the boss's money and so the rich man as the wise man he was he calls in this steward and says what's going on what's the deal this accusation has been brought against you give an account of what you own. And he gave him a few days to get things together. Well, Jesus says that his steward goes and finds those who were in debt to his boss and says, hey, how much do you owe him? Okay, cut it in half and cut a check right now and I'll take that. And then he goes to someone else and says, what do you owe? Okay, let's cut that down and we'll at least get some money back. And eventually, he does this many times, and we're actually told that when the master finds out that he actually commends him for being shrewd, even though it was less money than what was owed, he didn't necessarily even have the right to do it, and he kind of did it to save his own skin. in the expectation that if he lost his job, which he was expected to do, that he'd at least have some people in his corner that he did a favor for.

41:14 Now, you would think Jesus would condemn this, but I want you to see that he actually uses it as a rebuke to the disciples. It's a very striking story. Luke 16, 8, he comes to this conclusion, and it says, So the master commended the unjust steward because he had dealt shrewdly. It's wisely. For the sons of this world are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light. You've got to go read this in its context later. But Jesus is not necessarily affirming the action, but the mentality behind it. Which is what? That people in this world will use the world's means for their own selfish gain. And how much more as believers should we use the things of the world for the glory of God? We have a way better motivation, and so we should take advantage of the resources that God has given us, but we can often fail to do so for the glory of God.

42:15 Jesus will go on from this account and call his disciples to be faithful. And we know what faithfulness means, according to Jesus. It doesn't mean we hide what he's given us, but that we multiply it, that we are shrewd. Now, this prudence is not only to be applied with what we do, but also what we say. Colossians chapter 4, verse 5 through 6. Colossians 4 says, Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. You see that? Walk in wisdom, notice, towards those who are on the outside. That we should be shrewd, wise with what God's given us, and discerning with what we say. I love that idea, knowing how you ought to answer each one. It's not two-faced, it's wise.

43:11 Paul said that he would become all things to all men, never compromising the truth, but adapting it to the hearer. If Jesus has given us the command to be wise as serpents, then he will give us that supply of wisdom we need to leverage the things of the world for the kingdom of God. See, because there were wolves, they needed to be wise. And I sometimes fear as Christians, we lean too much to the harmless as doves and we're not as shrewd as we could be with God's resources, with our lives. And if we sense that we lack this wisdom, then just like James said, that we can ask of God without doubting and he will give to us liberally and without reproach. that's generously and graciously. And so this command from Jesus to be wise as serpents, listen, if you take that and you leave out the second part, then you could really get into some deep waters and get apart from God's plan.

44:16 But if you balance it with his command to be harmless as doves, it keeps you in the perfect middle. You know, a bird with only one wing cannot fly and a believer who is prudent but not pure won't make it very far. And so we find this second and last command to be harmless as doves. Now to this very day, a dove is actually an international symbol of peace. The origin of this symbol no doubt comes out of Genesis 8, where Noah sends out a dove, you remember, and eventually comes back with that freshly picked olive leaf in its mouth indicating that the waters had receded. Well, a dove was the only bird that could be offered as a sacrifice in the Old Testament. Why? Because it was a picture of purity. A dove or a pigeon, which is, we're not going to get into all the origins of that, but they're very connected. It's a picture of purity. They were used as sacrifices, seen all the way back to Abraham. It was actually the sacrifice that someone in poverty would be able to use. If you remember Luke 2 24, this is what Jesus's family had offered after he was born. It says there, and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons. It was a picture of purity. This bird was also used as an illustration. You remember when Jesus was baptized and the text says that like a dove, the Holy Spirit, after he rose from his baptism, descended upon him? I like that. I think it's a great picture that just as we need the Holy Spirit in order to walk in wisdom, we need the Holy Spirit to demonstrate and display this type of harmlessness, or really a better description is purity. You know, with the modern word harmless, I don't think it really captures the fullness of the original language. When you and I think of harmless, what do we think of? Weak, docile,

46:26 worthless. Like I never want someone to call me like, oh yeah, Joel, oh yeah, he's harmless. I just, as a man, I just, I don't want that. But look at here what the fullness of this word means. Harmless. The word means innocent, unmixed. It can be translated as simple, actually. pure, uncontaminated. This word was used to describe pure wine that wasn't mixed with water or unalloyed metals that were not tainted with other materials. Harmlessness here really is the idea of living a life of purity from the filth of this world. Philippians 2 verses 14-15 give us a great picture of this. Philippians 2 says, do all things without complaining and disputing. Why? that you may become blameless and harmless, pure, children of God, without fault in the midst of, notice, a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in this world.

47:31 You see, the world is crooked and perverse. You and I are to be harmless and blameless, all for the purpose of actually being light in the world. See, you can get so far down the practical wisdom that you forfeit purity. and we want to have this balance so that we might be seen as children of God. It's a mark of a believer, it's purity. Blameless means faultless or free from guilt and that's a synonym. These things go hand in hand, blamelessness and harmless. You see, while to some degree the world can have an appearance of wisdom, Jesus even said it, that that wicked servant who lied and deceived and was cunningly crafty. He was shrewd. Appearance of wisdom. But you see, this harmlessness of a dove is something altogether unique to the believer. The world cannot become harmless as a dove.

48:29 This is what sets us apart. Romans 16, 9 says, but I want you to be wise in what is good and simple concerning evil. It's the same word harmless, simple, or to be harmless concerning evil. You see, we are to be wise, but the end does not justify the means. We are to embrace this balance. Now to kind of illustrate this for you, okay, what does this actually look like? I think Daniel in the Bible is one of the best examples of this type of balance. Think about it. From even a young age, Daniel in Daniel 1 held to his convictions. He remained pure. He said, I will not eat of the king's delicacies. He was determined, Daniel 1.8. But as you go on to read Daniel chapter one, he didn't just go to the king and spit on his food. No. Man, he was wise. He was pure, yet he handled, remember that's where we get the idea of the vegetable fast. He just ate vegetables and water. He dealt with other people. He said, hey, test it. If it's not good, then we'll eat.

49:36 but just do this and we'll go from there. He was wise and because of his prudence and his purity God was able to use him in a pagan nation in mighty ways. God had exalted him to places of leadership and even at the end of Daniel's life when he's possibly commentators think in his 80s Daniel 6 verse 4 says this, so the governors and satraps fought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no charge or fault because he was faithful, nor was there any error or fault found in him. This is what we want to be. Daniel is a goal example. That wise, he didn't just say anything to anyone. He was prudent, sharp, sensible, and yet he always remained pure. No skeletons in the closet that they tried to get him down, and there was nothing pure.

50:35 And of course, Jesus lived this life as well, walking in wisdom, remaining harmless. Hebrews 7, 26 says, for such a high priest was fitting for us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens. Of course, there is no one more pure than the perfect, spotless lamb of God. And yet never mistake, and if you read the gospels, you won't, you never mistake Jesus's purity for his lack of prudence. And I think this comes out the best when you see him dealing with opposition, when those religious leaders try to test him. Man, the responses that Jesus would have was so wise. They would try to trap him, and at the same time, he would do both. He would say something that would shut them up, and then on the other hand he was pure where they had no accusation against him they were trying to trap him they never could why why is a serpent and they had nothing to no charges to stick against him in fact he was so pure that the only way they could take him down was to bring in those false witnesses against him and think about it here even then Jesus is an example of purity when false accusations come. 1 Peter 2.23 says, who when he was reviled did not revile in return. When he suffered, he did not threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. This is what it looks like. You know the Bible describes that you as a believer don't have to defend yourself. You and I are terrible defenders of ourselves. And I love this.

52:21 God tells us to give place to wrath, that we're allowing him to be our avenger, is actually what the Bible says. He's the one who says, I will make it right. You know, some people think that, well, revenge is an unbiblical quality. You and I are so sinful that God says, you can't handle this. And God says, I'm much better at it than you. And so give it to me. He says, revenge is mine. And so we'd be wise to be like Jesus in many circumstances. And listen, it's not going to stick. And if it does, he knows. He knows all about it. C.H. Spurgeon said this about doves. He said, this defenselessness, however, which looks like our weakness, is our real strength. Our being harmless appears to predict sure destruction, but it is to be the means of certain victory. You are to be gentle and easily entreated. You are not to fly into a passion because you are contradicted, nor to be angry because you are reviled. You are to endure contradiction and slander with tenderness and gentleness as a dove bears all things.

53:37 You are not to be driven into any sin by opposition. The dove is pure. It loveth to be by the rivers of waters and the quiet and clean places. So do you never be driven to sinful word or deed, but do good to all men and glorify God in all things by being both gentle and pure as a dove. Doesn't that picture it so well? And so in turn, you and I are to follow his example. 1 Thessalonians 5 15 says see that no one renders evil for evil to anyone but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all we don't overcome evil with evil but of course evil with good and so we embrace this quality embrace the innocence and purity of the Lord no matter what comes your way no matter if it's true or not it doesn't matter God will be your shepherd he will be your defender. He knows that you're in hostile environment. So don't, don't get all upset when they say false things against you. Jesus actually said, rejoice when they make things up about you, when they revile you. All they're doing is stacking up your rewards.

54:50 but don't let yourself mistake harmlessness for weakness or the inability to be wise in action and word because prudence without purity is just worldly craftiness but purity without prudence is altogether ineffective in the world in which we live to be a successful christian we have to strike this balance between the serpent and the dove. Purity is never to be confused with passivity. Now I believe Jesus had to give this instructions to his disciples and I believe he gives it to us today because naturally you and I are the opposite of what God wants us to be. Without his help you and I will be guilty as serpents and as dumb as doves. But thankfully he has not left us to figure it out on our own. Maybe you're asking yourself, man, okay, I see the balance. I see what you're laying out, and I want to live that way. Well, Jesus would later tell his disciples in the upper room during that last supper that it was actually to his advantage that he leaves. Why? Because the helper, the Holy Spirit would come. He would dwell in them. He would guide them into all truth. He would teach them all things and bring to memory the things, this included, that Jesus taught them. This is how the effective Christian life works. We learn what Jesus has spoken to us, and then we walk in step with the Holy Spirit, and he will be the one who will work through us this blessed balance. Just a few sentences later, if you think that's just a cop-out because I don't want to give you more application. Look at Matthew 10 20. Just a few verses later, Jesus would say this, for it is not you who speak, but the spirit of your father who speaks in you. This is it. Is this not the Christian life? God in you? The mystery?

57:00 Christ in you as you and I continually submit our lives to him he will transform us into the servants that we are supposed to be for his sake and thankfully in the end as we live with this divine balance God will get the glory we end here 1 Peter 2.12 having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, you might say, but I thought the conduct is honorable. Why would they speak against you? Because it doesn't have to do with you. They may, though by your good works, which they observe, meaning you've got to live in the world, just not be of it, that they would glorify God in the day of visitation. I love this verse. You know, we're all familiar with Matthew 5.16.

57:53 Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. That's awesome. This verse is similar. I mean, Peter takes an adaptation of that and uses and adds this idea of in the day of visitation. What is that? Well, the day of visitation refers to the day that someone will stand before God. and it will be our witness on that day of being both prudent and pure, wise and harmless that will stand the test in time and God will use it to bring even greater glory to himself by our lives. That is amazing. That is awesome. Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves all for his glory. Let's pray. Father, we come before you this morning and we're grateful, Lord, that you have prepared us for the moment. Lord, we really don't know what's ahead of us this day. We know that throughout these doors, we do enter the mission field, that we don't have to get on a plane and go overseas, that right here in our town, in our nation, in our state, Lord, you have called us to be faithful.

59:11 You have sent us out. You did not need us. And yet, Lord, you have given us purpose and mission. God, I pray that for all of us that we would not take your salvation and our lives for granted, but we would answer the call of the mission of why you still have us here.

59:36 Lord, I pray for those who, they can relate to this so much this morning in so many ways and even hard to describe for them they feel like everything is against them can't catch a break and they're living for you, they're faithful God I pray that you would encourage them this morning would they find respite and hope and relief in your Holy Spirit pray that your still small voice would just Lord, whisper to them in a sense that they're where they're supposed to be. That the challenge is not evidence that they're in the wrong place. It's the proof that they're in the right place. and yet you've called us to be wise. We're not to intentionally put ourselves in those positions.

1:00:27 God, we plead for you this morning, asking that your Holy Spirit would give us this balance. Lord, I know myself. I know I can so tend to veer one way or the other. And I pray that you would give us what we need to handle every situation, every person, whether it comes to work or family or neighbors or Lord, situations that we come across that you don't help us to handle them the way that you would. that we wouldn't be like the unfaithful servant who just hid that talent in the ground.

1:01:08 And they were so hesitant. Lord, I don't see any scriptures that say that you and I need to be, that we need to be hesitant, indecisive. And so, Lord, give us, please, what we need. Give us the purity of Christ, harmlessness of a dove and would truly we be those lights in a crooked and a perverse world all for your glory and we pray this in Jesus' name Amen God bless you guys