TIMOTHY
BERREY
BY
Making disciples of every nation is risky business,
and Jesus knew that it would be. I remember feeling
the stark reality of missionary risk in 2003, when
in the midst of preparations to take my family to
Cambodia for the summer, I learned that SARS was
lethally spreading its tentacles throughout Asia.
When our Lord addressed risk, however, His focus
was not on potential illnesses. As Jesus sent His
twelve disciples on a mission, He sent them as “sheep
in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16).1 The greatest
part of His instructions focused on preparing them
for persecution.
How might these same principles help us in our day?
1. Be wise as serpents and harmless as
doves (Matthew 10:16).
To be wise suggests being shrewd, insightful, careful,
and discerning; to be harmless means to be pure or
innocent. As sheep in the midst of wolves, we must
be savvy but not sinful.
My wife and I once met some missionary translators
who lived in a dangerous part of the Philippines.
Navigating their lives wisely meant they varied their
schedules and routes when running errands. But
every Sunday they went to church deliberately, fully
aware their church and service times were publicly
known. They were savvy but not sinful.
2. Lean on the Holy Spirit to guide you
(Matthew 10:20).
As the Lord prepared His disciples to be sheep in
the midst of wolves, He specifically warned them
to beware of men (see Matthew 10:17) who would
deliver them up out of hostility to the Gospel. In
those times, they were not to worry about what to
say but rely on the Spirit to help them.
My family spent the summer of 2004 ministering
in a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Johan-
nesburg was reportedly one of the most dangerous
cities in the world because of rampant crime, car
theft, and murder. One of the missionaries told us
that while helping with the injured at a car accident
scene, she was accosted by a man with a gun
who demanded her car keys. Without thinking,
she turned to him and replied furiously,
“Can’t you see this is not the time for
that? People have been injured!” To
her surprise, the man slunk away
into the crowd. In the midst of
danger, the Lord had provided
on-the-spot wisdom: “It is not
you who speak, but the Spirit of
your Father who speaks in you”
(Matthew 10:20).
SHEEP IN THE
MIDST OF WOLVES
1. Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations in this article are taken from the New King James Version.
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
2. Elisabeth Elliot, Through Gates of Splendor (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1957), 26.
3. Know when to escape or change
locations (Matthew 10:23ff).
Although missionaries cannot avoid all persecu-
tion, they need wisdom to know when to flee.
Peter did not hang around Jerusalem after his
miraculous release in Acts 12; “he departed, and
went into another place” (Acts 12:17). Missionaries
do not seek martyrdom. They seek the Lord’s
mind as to whether they should stay or leave.
At times, Paul relied on local believers to give
him counsel. Believers in Damascus realized the
time had come for Paul to leave town, and they
helped him out of the city in a basket (Acts 9:25).
During the riot in the coliseum at Ephesus, Paul
wanted to enter the melee, but “the disciples
would not allow him” (Acts 19:30).
Several years ago, I was invited to speak at a
conference in an area of the Philippines known
for heavy terrorist activity. Although believers
in Manila cautioned me against going, the local
pastor had told me that they would take reason-
able precautions. And they did. I had a four-man
escort to and from the airport. I was kept inside
and out of sight. People even slept around me
at night for protection. Although the situation
had the potential for danger, I entrusted myself
to God’s care and the counsel of the believers.
4. Do not value your life more than
Jesus and His mission for you.
Jesus does not promise that His disciples will
always come back alive. In Matthew 23:34, Jesus
speaks of some He will send who will be killed.
His cause is larger than your life and may even
demand it.
When loyalty to Christ bumps up against risk,
we must trust Him for the consequences of our
obedience. The five missionaries martyred by the
Auca Indians on January 8, 1956, understood this.
Pete Fleming said, “I am longing now to reach the
Aucas if God gives me the honor of proclaiming
the Name among them…. I would gladly give
my life for that tribe if only to see an assembly
of those proud, clever, smart people gathering
around the table to honor the Son—gladly, gladly,
gladly! What more could be given to a life?”2
Is fear holding you back from what you believe
God wants you to do? What risks might Christ be
asking you to take for Him? Do you love your life
more than you love Christ and His will for you?
Let Christ’s promise reassure you of the reward
for suffering for His name’s sake: “He who finds
his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for
My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39).