Lesson 10 – When the Spirit Speaks in You

Matthew 10:16-20

Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.

For many, just the thought of public speaking causes knees to shake, palms to sweat, and faces to turn red. Few naturally enjoy standing before a crowd and speaking, especially when you know you are being judged on what you are saying. To make matters worse, imagine speaking before an enemy who held power over your life!

But that's just what our Lord warns about. As believers, some of us will be challenged emotionally and others persecuted physically for our faith. But Christ's warning was not to be one which caused us cower away in fear, but to encourage us to stand in the knowledge that the Spirit would be there to speak on God's behalf. It's simply our job to be obedient the Father's words and speak the message he directs.

When I preach, I wonder if I'll be sufficient to speak the message the Lord indicates in the text. Sometimes I want to believe the passage doesn't say what it clearly indicates. Maybe I can claim it doesn't apply to today's church. I'm tempted to simply skip those verses and move on to one of the more familiar passages. In those times, I do well to remember it is the Spirit who speaks through me. This is his sermon and not my own. I'm just the instrument of his voice, having no right at all to question God's message.

While I'm thankful we do not to live in a day or age or place where the church is physically confronted, my prayer is we'll prove faithful to listen to the Father's Spirit within us every time we speak, no matter what the circumstance. If we'll trust the Spirit's presence, we'll surely be more bold in declaring our faith among the nations.

LORD JESUS

May my heart always be in tune with the message you give to me from the Father and desire to speak through me by your Spirit. Amen.

See also Mark 13:11 and Luke 12:12