Driven by Mission: Safety is Not Guaranteed

Matthew 10:16-23

Curtis Bean was not ready for what was about to happen. Towards the end of WW2, he was driving his jeep back to his post in northern Italy (unarmed and alone). 13 German soldiers jumped out in front of him. He was not prepared for what would happen, nor would he have been able to handle them if they were hostile, but he was courageous and willing to step forward in mission. Thankfully, their intention was to surrender and they let him lead them to his post. God was certainly with him on that journey. I’ve mentioned many times before that when we leave, or when the church scatters (goes back to daily lives), we are not simply going home but are going to our harvest fields. Just like the slide that shows up at the end of each gathering “You are now entering your mission field” to remind us that when the church scatters, it is to go on mission, you have no idea what is awaiting you on any given day, but like Col. Bean, you take the next step in courage and in faith and lean on God’s promise to never leave or forsake you. Just like the disciples, when Jesus sent them out, had no idea what they would face, the reality is that you have no idea either.

Everything we’ve discussed up to this point leaves us here – our calling, our mission, our goal in life is to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples. Ultimately, you will have to choose how seriously you are going to take this mission and whether or not you allow it to be your top priority in life or if it falls somewhere between doing laundry and getting that pesky foot fungus looked at. You will choose what you will choose, but rest assured, there is no better place to be than in the will and protection of God. Even if the enemy sets his sights straight on you.

Safety is Not Guaranteed

As Jesus was sending out the twelve disciples on their first forays into the world to share the gospel, Jesus prepared them with a dire warning. He described the people they would be going to as wolves, one of nature’s scariest and most vicious animals. It seems a peculiar thing to leave them with that while pushing them out the door, but that’s the reality of the mission: it’s perilous. Safety is not guaranteed. In 110 AD, Ignatius, the overseer of the church in Antioch (where the disciples were first called Christians) was sent to Rome for trial over his work sharing the gospel. The entire way to Rome, at every stop, he taught about Jesus even though guarded by soldiers. When he was sentenced to be fed to the lions and could hear their roaring, he famously said, “I am going to be ground by the teeth of wild beasts, that I may be found the pure bread of Christ” (from Foxe’s New Book of Martyrs). Safety is not guaranteed. Whether it is the loss of life or even just the loss of relationship, this journey living out our faith in Christ is perilous. So how could you want to be anywhere but in the will and presence of God?

There is No Need to Worry

You might be seriously asking yourself that question right now – do you want to be in the will of God if that outcome is even slightly possible? It certainly turned out to be a violent end for Ignatius, and that risk is still present; consider Jim Elliott or those killed at Columbine, or more recently the people being killed for their faith in the Middle East. Why take that risk? Because of the promise of the Holy Spirit. V19-20 stand out in the middle of this passage like an uppercut from Evander Holyfield. Yes, there is opposition, yes, there is danger from known and unknown foes alike, but you don’t need to worry about it. You have the Spirit of God. He is faithful so that we don’t have to worry, but can be present in the moment.

Next Steps

We are made to face this evil – it is the path God gave us – yet He promises to be with us and to equip us literally in the moment with what He wants us to say. This is real time armament and protection. This is no risk unless one takes their eyes off Christ. We absolutely need to beware and be smart about what we will face, but we need not be afraid of it or avoid it. We are the light in the dark world; there is no better place to be than in the will and protection of God.

1. Pray for courage to step into real spiritual war this week in the harvest.
2. Connect with a non-Christian in a meaningful way this week that requires you to lean on the Spirit in the conversation.
3. SOAK in Philippians 3:12-14 this week and consider what it means to endure in God’s mission.

One last thought from v22 – “the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Scripture makes a direct tie to the genuineness of one’s belief and endurance through the challenges of faith while working in the harvest. Be aware that if you choose not to live this risky life, you may be risking your own eternity. Be driven by God’s mission and trust in your position as His child. You are safe; no matter what happens.